Fixed-ratio pausing: Joint effects of past reinforcer magnitude and stimuli correlated with upcoming magnitude

Pigeons responded on fixed-ratio schedules ending in small or large reinforcers (grain presentations of different duration) interspersed within each session. In mixed-schedule conditions, the response key was lit with a single color throughout the session, and pausing was directly related to the past reinforcer (longer pauses after large reinforcers than after small ones). In multiple-schedule conditions, different colors accompanied the ratios ending in small and large reinforcers, and pausing was affected by the upcoming reinforcer as well as the past one. Pauses were shorter before large reinforcers than before small ones, but they continued to be longer after large reinforcers than after small ones. The influence of the past reinforcer was modulated by the magnitude of the upcoming reinforcer; in the presence of the stimulus before the small reinforcer, the effect of the past reinforcer was enhanced relative to its effect in the stimulus before the large reinforcer. These results show that pausing between ratios is jointly determined by two competing factors: past conditions of reinforcement and stimuli correlated with upcoming conditions.     

Discriminability between alternatives in a switching-key concurrent schedule

Six pigeons were trained to discriminate between two intensities of white light in a symbolic matching-to-sample procedure. These stimuli were then used to signal which schedule was available on the main key in a switching-key concurrent schedule. The concurrent schedules led to a symbolic matching-to-sample phase in which the subject identified the concurrent schedule to which it last responded before a reinforcer could be obtained. The concurrent schedules were varied across conditions. Discriminability, measured during the symbolic matching-to-sample performance, was high throughout and did not differ across the two procedures. Performance in the concurrent schedules was like that typically obtained using these schedules. Delays were then arranged between completion of the concurrent schedules and presentations of the symbolic matching-to-sample phase. A series of conditions with an intervening delay of 10 s showed that both concurrent-schedule performance and symbolic matching-to-sample performance were affected by the delay in a similar way; that is, choice responding was closer to indifference.     

The relationship between attitude,assertiveness and condom use

The Australian study investigated condom-specific assertiveness and condom use as a means of prevention infection from sexually transmitted diseases. 211 men participated including 83 homosexual men (aged 19-62 years) and 128 heterosexual men (aged 17-49) who completed a questionnaire that comprised demographic details such as age, monogamy, and sexual activity as well as attitudinal and assertiveness measures. General assertiveness was measured by the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS) which had been widely used across a wide range of social situations. Assertiveness relating specifically to situations involving condoms was measured by the Condom Assertiveness Scale (CAS). Intention to use condoms was positively related to favorable attitudes, which were related to condom-specific assertiveness for both groups. For the heterosexual men only, general social assertiveness was negatively related to attitudes toward condoms. For both groups, the condom-specific measure of assertiveness was positively correlated with attitudes toward condoms. Condom-specific assertiveness was positively related to general social assertiveness as measured by the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule for the homosexual, but not for the heterosexual men. The negative relationship between general assertiveness and attitude to condoms among the heterosexual men implies that the risk reducing behavior of condom use did not seem to accord with the perceptions of masculinity and social assertiveness among heterosexual men. Thus, female partners of such heterosexual men exhibiting negative attitudes toward condom use combined with assertiveness would have to overcome resistance to insist on the use of condoms. Recently some advertising campaigns have been directed at women. The promotion of condom use among heterosexual men has to deal with the perceptions of condom use as unmasculine behavior.     

心身问题与心灵哲学

第9届维特根斯坦国际专题讨论会的主题是心灵哲学(philosophy of mind,或译心智哲学)和心理学哲学。详细地讨论过的问题包括:心身问题、心灵哲学的传统问题和心理学哲学。 1.心身问题什么是心身问题?“心灵”(mind)一词有多种非常不同的用法,这一事实导致了现代讨论中的某种混乱。对这个词,我们至少可以区分出五种不同的用法,因此心身问题至少有五种意义。 (1)我们可以象笛卡儿使用“mens”一词那样使用“心灵”一词,让它指称具有心理属性的东西,亦即指称那种能思想,能感知,能相信和能欲求的东西。在这种情况下,我们通常是用“心灵”这个词意指“人”这个词所意指的东西,因而该词表示的就是你和我这样一些实     

20世纪末的合理性问题

近几十年,哲学家、社会学家和科学学家越来越热烈地讨论合理性问题,在科学哲学中,这个问题已成为最紧迫的问题之一。正如德国哲学家B.齐梅里写的那样,“当代大陆欧洲哲学围绕其运动的基本的和关键的问题,是合理性及其界限”。然而在大陆欧洲以外,在英美两国的出版物中,对这个问题讨论得更加活跃;在我国,许多引人注目的著述也在探讨这个问题。     

库恩的可否证性模式

库恩和拉卡托斯都不同意把理论的评价看作是理论的可证实性或理论的可否证性这一传统观点。他们的批判分为两个题目:首先,一种科学理论并非只能凭经验的结果来检验;其次,人们不会在没有现成可替代的理论时就摈弃一种理论。在拉卡托斯的术语里,要么被接受,要么被摈弃的是理论的研究纲领而不仅仅是理论本身。进一步说,某一特定的范式或研究纲领的摈弃并不就是简单地被取代,一种替代范式在另一种范式或研究纲领被摈弃之前必须发生效用。最近,人们对拉卡托斯夸大第二点进行了批判。F.M.亚克罗德认为,在科学史上有一些情况是,一项研究被简单地摈弃了,而且的确是被合理地摈弃了,尽管还没有替代者。在本文中,我     

工作负载的测量和评定

长期处于应激状态而又适应不良者可导致疾病。人类经常遇到的心理、社会性应激源除了生活事件以外,长期工作负载过重也是其中之一。本文通过对24名在监护病房工作的护士的工作负载的测量介绍了在西方国家常用的工作负载的测量和评定方法。     

促进企业组织创新的途径

本文认为企业成功的关键条件之一是企业组织的创新,企业管理的一项重要任务就是通过长期的努力,使企业成为具有创造与革新精神的组织。促进企业组织创新的途径主要包括三个方面:(1)选拨与录用具有创新精神的人员;(2)采取有利于创新的领导方式;(3)建立与强化积极的企业组织文化。文章就此进行了探讨,提出了一些具体措施。     

《主体·客体·认识》中译本序言

B·A·列克托尔斯基是苏联著名的马克思主义哲学家,现任苏联《哲学问题》杂志主编、科学院哲学所认识论研究室主任。《主体·客体·认识》一书是他的一本有相当高学术价值、享有国际盛名的力作,已被翻译为七种文字。本文系他为该书中译本写的前言,其中谈了对认识论发展的重要看法。该书中译本由贾泽林等人译,将由中国人民大学出版社出版。     

热情或冷淡对教学能力的影响

我们检验了凯利的热情或冷淡控制对于人的第一印象和教学能力影响的研究。一位主持人以宝座教授的身分给240名大学生上了一堂课。在他到来之前,半数受试了解到他是一个相当热情的人,另一半受试则得知他是冷淡的,照此办理,告诉上述每一组中的一半受试他是一位体育教授,另一半受试则被告知他是社会心理学教授。对2(热情或冷淡条件)×2(主持人的专业)×2(受试的性别)的多元方差分析表明:(a)预先得知主持人是热情的受试比被告知他是冷淡的受试更倾向于认为他是一个有能力的教师,一个令人愉快,和蔼可亲,温文尔雅,幽默活泼的人。(b)主持人的专业和受试的性别都不影响受试对教师的认知。结果讨论涉及到晕轮、前后关系和身分影响的问题。