AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INTEGRAL NATURE OF THE SOVIET CONCEPT OF SET

Cette recherche se propose d'étudier le caractère intégral de la notion de “set” telle qu'elle est décrite dans la théorie d'Uznadze. Deux concepts de base sont définis opérationnellement: l'objectification, qui se révèle dans le langage parlé et l'écriture, et la personnalité, qui peut être observée au moyen de tests appropriés. Cent quatre-vingt-six sujets d'un âge moyen de 21 ans ont participé à cette étude. Les mesures des traits de personnalité ont été obtenues par le EPI (Eysenck Personality Inventory) et le MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). Le langage a été analysé à travers les dissertations écrites par chaque sujet. Les mesures de personnalité, de langage et de “set” ont été soumises à une analyse factorielle qui a permis d'extraire huit facteurs interprétables. Les résultats n'apportent qu'un soutien réduit à la thèse d'Uznadze concernant la nature intégrale de la notion de “set”.     

The effects of instructions,fixed rate of presentation,and complexity on free looking time

The effect of stimulus complexity, prior experience with a short or long fixed rate of presentation (FRP) and S’s knowledge concerning the purpose ot the experiment on free looking time (FLT), was examined. Results indicated that under all conditions, Ss view complex stimuli longer than simple. A long FRP produced longer FLT than did a short FRP for Ss uninformed of the purpose of the experiment, hut FRP had no effect on FLT for Ss who were informed.     

A decentralized computer network for supervision of multiple psychological laboratories

The computer network described was designed to optimize the use of a number of independent minicomputers as a single integrated system for process control of several research laboratories. The implementation of the network required both the development of a special purpose interprocessor interface and the design of a software support system to direct network operations. The network was designed according to the familiar “star” configuration, with the exception that the central computer in the star does not exercise exclusive supervisory control over the system. Rather, each computer on the system “sees” the central computer as a peripheral similar in characteristics to a medium speed I/O device. This design allows each computer to serve not only as a node in the network, but also as an entirely independent process controller.     

Note on Carroll's analytic simple structure

A method for computing the transformation matrix for Carroll's analytic simple structure (1) is presented. The procedure involves successively finding the smallest latent root and associated vector of symmetric matrices.     

Psychological variables underlying political orientations in an old and a new democracy: A comparative study between Sweden and Latvia

This study examines in detail the psychological variables underlying ideological political orientation, and structure and contents of this orientation, in Sweden and Latvia. Individual political orientation is conceptualized on two dimensions: acceptance vs. rejection of social change and acceptance vs. rejection of inequality. Swedish (N = 320) and Latvian (N = 264) participants completed measures of political orientation, Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), self vs. other orientation, tolerance for ambiguity, humanism and normativism, core political values, system justification, as well as moral foundations questionnaire and portrait values questionnaire. The results showed that the relation among the measured variables was similar in both samples. Swedish participants showed stronger endorsement of egalitarian attitudes and social values, whereas we found more self‐enhancing and socially conservative values and attitudes among the Latvian participants.