Masking-level differences in older adults: The effect of the level of the masking noise

In Experiment 1, masking-level differences (MLDs) for a 500-Hz tone at five masker levels were obtained from younger and older adults. For both age groups, there were no reliable increases in MLD once the spectrum level of the masker exceeded 27 dB SPL. MLDs were larger for younger than for older adults over the range of masker levels tested. In Experiment 2, the levels of both the signal and the masker in one ear were attenuated by either 15 or 30 dB relative to their level in the other ear, which was fixed at a spectrum level of 47 dB SPL. MLDs for both age groups declined with increasing IAA and age-related differences were observed in all conditions. The findings of these experiments indicate that (1) age-related differences in MLDs exist even when the level of the masker is sufficiently high that older adults achieve their plateau performance, and (2) older listeners are not disadvantaged more than younger listeners by interaural differences in the level of the input.     

Comparing color-word and picture-word Stroop-like effects: A test of the Glaser and Glaser (1989) model

Summary Glaser and Glaser (1989) assume that the processing of colors and pictures is highly similar in that, compared to words, both kinds of stimulis have privileged access to semantic information. This assumption was tested in the present research. In Experiment 1, the season corresponding to the color or to the word of color-word Stroop stimuli had to be named (e.g., green for spring). In Experiment 2, subjects had to name the season corresponding to the picture or the word of a picture-word stimulus (e. g., flower for spring). According to Glaser and Glaser (1989), privileged semantic processing of colors and pictures should be evidenced by a larger interfering power of color and picture distractors than of word distractors. However, the asymmetric pattern of interference was observed only with picture-word stimuli (Experiment 2), but not with color-word stimuli (Experiment 1), suggesting that, unlike pictures, colors do not have privileged access to semantic information. It was also found that word distractors interfered with the semantic processing of pictures, a result that is incompatible with the dominance rule postulated by Glaser and Glaser (1989). From these results, an adapted version of the Glaser and Glaser model is proposed: colors are assumed to have privileged access to a separate color processing system and the pattern of interference depends upon the relative activation strength of the response alternatives activated by the target and the distractor.     

Involving parents in child sexual abuse prevention programs

Conclusion The importance of involving parents in child sexual abuse prevention programs has been given much lip-service by prevention educators, but relatively little time, energy or resources in reality. This seems short-sighted at best, if the goal of these programs is truly prevention as they purport. Although the results of this study may have limited generalizability because of its sample size and its highly educated respondents, it is the first study to compare the knowledge of attending versus nonattending parents of a typical one-shot parent workshop. The results indicated that the parents as a whole were fairly well versed in the facts of sexual abuse, although as in previous studies, they did not extend the statistics on sexual abuse to their own children. However, probably the most important results were the enthusiastic responses for parent programs and involvement but in different formats, at different times, and in different environments than the current typical PTO evening, one-time meeting. Clearly child sexual abuse prevention programs should experiment with innovative ways to reach parents. If prevention programs can involve a small minority of motivated parents as they seem to be able to do, then together these parents and the educators may be able to develop methods and resources to involve the large majority of currently uninvolved parents. Such an integrated and involving community approach to the prevention of child sexual abuse seems necessary if the goal of prevention is ever going to be reached.     

Development and yearning: Cognitive aspects of spiritual development

Spirituality is important to humans but gets little attention in experimental studies of life span cognitive development. One way to integrate such studies is to examine cognitive aspects of spiritual development using complex postformal Piagetian models. Four possible points of interface within postformal models are: developmental stages; elements of emotion and will; multiperson cognition; and forms taken by the processes used. Testable hypotheses are outlined and some possible difficulties to be expected within such research are discussed.     

Computer use in psychology instruction: A survey of individual and institutional characteristics

This paper reports the results of a national survey of psychology faculty regarding their instructional use of computers. The survey was designed to answer three general questions: (1) In what ways and to what extent are psychologists using computers in their instruction? (2) What individual characteristics differentiate among levels of users? (3) What institutional characteristics appear to promote or inhibit the instructional use of computers? The results reveal that, although there appears to be extensive use of computers to support instruction, there are both institutional and individual characteristics that differentiate among levels and types of use. Several factors are identified that could lead to increased instructional use of computers, but their impact will largely be determined by the characteristics of the individual and the institution.     

A new axiomatization of portfolio theory

An axiomatization proposed by Coombs 1974 is shown to be insufficient for the representation of gambles in a risk × expected value space as described by Portfolio Theory. A new axiom system is given which is necessary and sufficient for this representation, and which implies the old axiomatization.     

Concurrent validity of Holland's theory for non-college-degreed working women

This study, using the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS), explored the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college-degreed women. The VPI and SDS were administered to 114 women workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's vocational environments. The results revealed that three scales of the VPI and five scales of the SDS successfully differentiated the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical notions. In general, the findings lend some support to the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college-degreed women.     

Delayed matching in the pigeon: Effect on performance of sample-specific observing responses and differential delay behavior

Pigeons were trained on a delayed matching-to-sample task with a 0-sec delay and then transferred to a 1-sec delay (Experiment 1) or were trained with mixed 0-sec/1-sec delays and then transferred to longer mixed delays up to 28 sec (Experiment 2). Four groups were distinguished by the nature of the observing response required to each sample color (red and blue). For Group NN pecks were allowed to neither color. For Group PcPc pecks were required to both colors. For Group PcN pecks were required to red but were not allowed to blue. For Group PcPt pecks were required at the center key in the presence of red, but at a key located directly above the center key in the presence of blue. The results of both experiments indicated significant effects of both Pecking vs Not Pecking, and Sample-Specific vs Sample-Independent Responding. At the longer delays individual differences in sample-specific delay behavior were a better predictor of performance than the behavior required in the presence of the sample.