Interfacing the microcomputer: A component-level approach

A method is described for interfacing relatively inexpensive component- and chip-level devices to a standard Intel microcomputer board for providing an on-line physological monitoring system. The system demonstrates basic interfacing techniques and a highly simplified approach for integrating various state-of-the-art peripheral circuit components to a standard microcomputer configuration.     

An introduction to microcomputer networking concepts

This paper presents a brief history of the use of internal computer networks, an introduction to networking concepts and topology, and suggestions regarding a possible system for use in a psychology laboratory. Considerations about the design and use of a microcomputer network are discussed.     

An introduction to the UCSD PASCAL system

This paper provides an introduction to the UCSD PASCAL system: a nearly machine-independent software system for micro- and minicomputers. The system is designed to run as a single-user interactive system. It is written almost entirely in the PASCAL programming language and consists of: a single-user operating system, PASCAL pseudomachine interpreter, PASCAL compiler, screen- and line-oriented editors, file manager, debugger, utility programs, and a BASIC compiler. A CAI package is also available.     

A self-contained microcomputer system for psychological testing

This paper describes a newly available microcomputer system for the on-line administration, scoring, and interpretation of psychological tests. User response to the system is reported. Results of a validity study of the system’s Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory interpretative program are presented.     

Organizational preparedness for change: Staff acceptance of an on-line computer-assisted assessment system

An on-line assessment system is briefly described. Previous positive evaluation studies are summarized. Results of studies of staff acceptance and staff preparedness for change are reported. Findings are interpreted in terms of the need for planning for change. Implications related to the acceptance of other on-line computer systems in psychology are discussed.     

Visual discrimination of texture

Julesz (1975) proposed a theory of texture discrimination, based on an order statistics principle, which states that no two textures can be perceptually discriminated if they have identical second-order statistics. The experiments reported here demonstrate that this principle is not adequate to predict visual texture discriminability. Both letter and dot micropatterns were used to create texture pairs that either differed or were identical with respect to secondorder statistics. The subject’s task was to decide which quadrant of an array contained a disparate texture. In Experiments 1, 2, and 3, when controlling for spatial overlap, texture pairs having identical second-order statistics were discriminated more quickly than similar texture pairs having different second-order statistics, in contradiction to the principle. Although a significant effect in the direction predicted by the order statistics principle was found in Experiment 4 for texture pairs created from the dot micropatterns, other factors, such as spatial overlap, border differences, and goodness of pattern, must also be considered in predicting texture discriminability.     

Contour specificity of the McCollough effect

Subjective estimates of McCollough aftereffect strength are significantly reduced when certain spatial features of the line grating patterns are manipulated. Results are dependent upon whether the spatial parameters of the test or inspection patterns are altered. Changing the angular slant, contour sharpness, or contour completeness of the inspection gratings does not affect aftereffect strength, but changing the spatial frequency, contour sharpness, or contour completeness of the test gratings does. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to theories offered to explain the McCollough effect.     

An investigation of the perceptual basis of redundancy gain and orthogonal interference for integral dimensions

Redundancy gain and orthogonal interference for height and width were demonstrated in two experiments using a relative coding task with number of intertrial repetitions controlled. Orthogonal interference was shown to be perceptually based rather than simply an intertrial repetitions effect as suggested by Felfoldy (1974). These results from a relative coding task were discussed in terms of the previous multidimensional processing literature. It was concluded that Lockhead’s (1972t model has been applied too generally. An alternative model (a parallel, dimensional analysis stage followed by a stage in which dimensional information is integrated) was suggested.     

Influencesicture context on object recognition

The effect of sorrounding context on the recognition of objects from briefly presented pictures was investigated. Forty-eight undergraduates saw 100 msec displays of either line drawings containing several objects embedded in context or drawings of object arrays without background context. Following each exposure they were required to select from among four objects the one that had been contained in the picture. Presentation of objects in context aided recognition only when incorrect response alternatives were inconsistent with the picture context. The results suggest that context contributes to the construction of a general characterization of the pictures which provides expectancies regarding the identity of specific objects.     

Career stages: A partial test of Levinson's model of life/career stages

This study purports to test a theory of life and career stages developed by Daniel Levinson and his associates. The theory suggests four distinct stages between ages 20 and 45 each with their own developmental tasks and related behaviors and attitudes. Subjects (759 managerial, professional, and technical employees) were selected randomly from levels and departments of a major public sector employer in the midwest United States. The measure of career stage asked respondents to indicate whether they had passed through, were still in, or had not yet reached each stage as operationalized by a short vignette. Attitudinal and behavioral measures were abstracted from previously developed instruments. Only moderate support for the theory was found with little or no evidence to support the age-linked notion of these stages. Stages were found to be discriminable in terms of certain attitudes (upward mobility, career and overall job satisfaction, and job commitment) as predicted. Suggestions are given for improvements in measurement, research design, and theory refinement.