Infant auditory perception: Tonal masking

The results of an earlier study (Olsho, 1984) indicated that 5- to 8-month-old infants were relatively better at discriminating among high-frequency pitches than low. In the present study, sensory and nonsensory explanations for that effect were evaluated by examining infants' performance in a task requiring similar sensory processing but differing in the demands placed on processes such as memory. Infants' ability to resolve frequency was tested using a tonal masking paradigm, the psychophysical tuning curve. Twenty-four infants were tested at probe frequencies ranging from 500 to 4000 Hz; a group of young adults served as a comparison. Masked and unmasked thresholds were estimated using the visually reinforced head turn procedure in conjunction with an adaptive psychophysical method. Although infants' tuning curves fell below those of adults (indicating poorer performance), the widths and slopes of the infants' curves were not different from the adults'. Moreover, the difference between age groups remained constant across probe frequencies. These findings imply that by 5 months of age, the infant's ability to resolve sound frequency is similar to the adult's.     

Theologie Als Metatheorie

Ohne ZusammenfassungIn honor of Bishop Prof. Dr. H.-W. Heidland on the occasion of his 65th birthday.     

Improved reliability estimates for the serial color-word test

Starting from Lennart Sjöberg's serial scoring of the Color-Word Test and his critical review of the test, the possibilities of attaining better reliability estimates are briefly surveyed. As a simple step, the orthogonalization of the regression model is suggested. Ways of maximizing the reliability estimate are demonstrated. On the basis of 261 subjects from five differing subsamples, clinical and control groups, the reliability estimates of the oblique system of the orthogonalized system and of the maximum reliability solutions are compared empirically. The significance of the results for test theoretic evaluation of the Color-Word Test is discussed.     

Treatment indication in psychotherapy: Some methodological aspects

In this paper it is argued that the general problem of indication, increasingly discussed in the field of psychotherapy in recent years, actually is a pseudoproblem with no solution to be expected. In its objectives and premises it is trongly suggestive of conceptions and ideas of early logical empiricism, to be considered as out-of-date today. The concept of indication is identified as ambiguous, and preliminary remarks aiming at an explication of the concept are made. Finally, the consequences of our arguments for the immediate problem of integration of the different therapeutic approaches are pointed out.     

Parafoveal word perception: A case against semantic preprocessing

The present experiment investigated semantic information extraction in parafoveal word perception. An ambiguous word (bank) was presented in foveal vision, and simultaneously a disambiguating word (water, money) was presented in the parafovea. Subjects were required to make a forced choice between two phrases, and the task was constructed so that a correct choice could be made if semantic information about both the foveal and parafoveal word had been obtained. However, the results indicated that the forced-choice results could be explained by two factors: identification of the parafoveal word and correct guessing. Hence, it was concluded that those models of reading which rely on unconscious semantic preprocessing of parafoveal words were not supported.     

BEHAVIOR THERAPY AND THE CONDITIONING MODEL OF NEUROSIS

The methods of applied science are usually based on the findings of pure science, and the discovery of successful methods of therapy for the neuroses is dependent on the formulation of appropriate theories for these disorders. It is argued that the only viable theory about neurosis at the moment is an adaptation of the Watsonian conditioning model, suitably altered to fit in with more recent discoveries in the fields of the formation and extinction of conditioned responses. Such a model has important relevance to behaviour therapy and the various methods for treating neuroses falling under that heading, and indeed for an explanation of the apparent effectiveness of psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and whatever events mediate spontaneous remission.     

Accents in equitone sequences

Equitone sequences are defined as sequences of tones that are identical in all respects: frequency, spectral composition, intensity, and duration. The only parameter varied in these sequences is the time-interval between tones. In such sequences, clear accents are perceived. This paper describes accent perception in equitone sequences containing two alternating intervals; such sequences are perceived as consisting of repeating groups of two tones. An accent is heard on the first tone of a group if the difference between the intervals is about 5% to 10%. If the difference is made bigger, the accent is heard on the last tone of the group; this latter accent is considerably stronger than the accent previously heard on the first tone. In a number of experiments, the conditions under which the two types of accents occur were investigated. From these experiments, it was tentatively concluded that the accent on the last tone is heard because that tone, since it is followed by a longer interval, can be processed more completely. This “intervalproduced” accent indeed occurs only if the between-group interval is considerably longer than the within-group interval and if the latter does not exceed a duration of about 250 msec. The effect is slightly dependent on tone duration. The interval-produced accent can be balanced if the nonaccented tone is increased by about 4 dB in intensity. This shows that the effect is quite robust. The specific type of accentuation reported here might explain some rhythmical phenomena, examples of which are given.     

The influence of verbal specifications on ratings of relative properties of pictures

Summary Sixty subjects were shown pictures each containing two objects (A and B). The objects were unobtrusive with respect to relative properties such as long — short, big — small, etc. The pictures were preceded by sentences referring either to objects A and B or only to object A. Object A was dimensionally specified: The same object was called, e.g., long for one and short for a different subject. Ratings during a later test (without presentation of the pictures) revealed that not only were objects A remembered according to the verbal specification provided during the presentation but ratings of objects B also changed in line with the specification of A. This was true even when object B had not been mentioned verbally during the presentation. In this way, verbal specifications had an effect beyond the referential bond. It is concluded that models based on the assumption that the semantic interpretation of an event depends on the application of syntactic rules — rules indicating, e.g., to which object an adjective refers — lack an important clue.