Numerical methods for polynomial models in nonlinear factor analysis

The basic concepts of nonlinear factor analysis are introduced and some extensions of the general theory are developed. An elementary account of the class of multiple-factor polynomial models is presented, using more elementary algebraic methods than have been employed in earlier accounts of this theory. Working formulas are developed for the multiple-factor polynomial model without product terms.Some empirical results are presented.This work was carried out while the author was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N. J. It made use of computer facilities at Princeton University that are supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant NSF-Gp579.     

Error-detection and correction latencies as a function of S-R compatibility

In choice-response tasks employing correction-procedure, error-correcting responses are typically found to be faster than equivalent correct responses. An experiment was made to compare error-correction RT under conditions of good and poor S-R compatibility in a two-choice task. After practice, variations in S-R compatibility producing significant variations in mean correct RT nevertheless have no effect on error-correction time. The contrast between this result, and one previously reported (Burns, 1965) leads to a re-discussion of the processes of error detection and correction.     

Visual orientation preferences in the rat

An experiment was performed which demonstrated a preference in hooded rats for vertical rather than horizontal striatums. It was demonstrated that experience in discriminating between horizontal and vertical striations facilitates subsequent discrimination between squares and circles, regardless of which type of striation was positive in initial training. This finding has implications for theories of shape recognition, which are discussed.     

On the failure to eliminate hypotheses in a conceptual task

This investigation examines the extent to which intelligent young adults seek (i) confirming evidence alone (enumerative induction) or (ii) confirming and discontinuing evidence (eliminative induction), in order to draw conclusions in a simple conceptual task. The experiment is designed so that use of confirming evidence alone will almost certainly lead to erroneous conclusions because (i) the correct concept is entailed by many more obvious ones, and (ii) the universe of possible instances (numbers) is infinite.

Six out of 29 subjects reached the correct conclusion without previous incorrect ones, 13 reached one incorrect conclusion, nine reached two or more incorrect conclusions, and one reached no conclusion. The results showed that those subjects, who reached two or more incorrect conclusions, were unable, or unwilling to test their hypotheses. The implications are discussed in relation to scientific thinking.     

The processing of positive and negative information

An affirmative statement which is known to be false and the complementary negative statement which is known to be true, provide the same information, i.e. that something is not the case. Similarly, an affirmative statement which is known to be true and the complementary negative statement which is known to be false, both imply that something is the case. (If P is false, not-P is true and if P is true, not-P is false.) Hence there are four kinds of statement (“conditions”): true affirmatives, false affirmatives, true negativee and false negatives, but only two kinds of information: positive and negative.

This experiment investigates the times taken to process information presented in these ways. The task was to select two alternative words which would make affirmative or negative conjunctive statements agree or conflict with given situations. The four conditions were presented six times in different serial orders, so that each occurred once in every block of four trials. The mean response times were: true affirmatives 8-99 sec, false affirmatives 11 19 sec., true negatives 12-58 sec, false negatives 15-17 sec. This order was the same at each of the six presentations of the conditions, the differences being significant at the 0 001 level in each case. There was a pronounced decline in errors (without knowledge of results) for three of the conditions. These results are discussed in relation to (i) the assumption of a positive set, established through a long learning process; (ii) the inferential nature of negative information in relation to experience; and (iii) the possible emotional effects of negative terms.