Sensitivity and responsivity measures for discrimination learning

The present report considers alternative measures of sensitivity and response bias for the discrimination learning paradigm. The classical signal detection measures, d′ and β, were compared with their nonparametric equivalents, A′ and B″, with theoretical measures derived from threshold theory and with empirical measures derived from the ROC graph. Differential rabbit eyelid conditioning data from three experiments were analyzed with these measures, and the results of these analyses were used along with other information to determine which measures of sensitivity and response bias are most useful for the analysis of discrimination learning data.     

An investigation of relative preference for consistency motivation

The present experiment was designed to determine relative preference for fulfillment of consistency motivation. Ninety-two students rated their attraction to, identification with, and idealization of a hypothetical stimulus person who was represented as having fulfilled particular social motives such as approval, power, achievement and consistency. Results confirmed that subjects prefer persons who have satisfied traditional needs more so than others whose consistency desires have been fulfilled. Implications for the role of consistency motivation in social behavior are considered.     

MORAL DEVELOPMENT OF LAO CHILDREN1,2

Cette étude a pour propos d'examiner, chez des enfants laotiens âgés de six à quatorze ans, le développement du jugement moral dans deux domaines : le réalisme moral et la justice. Selon Piaget, le développement du réalisme moral, le passage de la responsabilité objective à la responsabilité subjective sont intimement liés à la qualité des interactions enfant-adultes, la contrainte adulte retardant le développement et la coopération l'accélérant. Le développement de l'idée de justice, d'autre part, serait moins dépendant de cette interaction et davantage lié aux rapports de groupe d'un même âge. En partant de l'hypothèse que les relations entre enfants d'un même groupe d'âge montrent une plus grande stabilité intercultutelle que les interactions adultes-enfants, on suppose que le développement de l'idée de justice présente un caractère plus universel que la genèse de l'idée de réalisme moral. Les résultats de la recherche ne confirment pas l'hypothèse. l'auteur conclut que le développement de l'idée de justice ne présente pas le même caractère d'universalité que la genèse des opérations cognitives et que le passage au jugement subjectif et à l'idée de justice peut dépendre d'autres facteurs que ceux identifiés par Piaget.     

Effects of Gender,Socioeconomic Status,and Early Academic Performance on Postsecondary Educational Choice

National data were used to study the effects of gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and 4 types of eighth‐grade academic performance on postsecondary educational choices at late adolescence. Educational choices were classified by predominant Holland type (R, I, A, S, E, C). Gender had strongest independent influences on educational choice. Gender also interacted with SES and academic performance. Relationships between SES and educational choice were stronger for women than for men. For women, eighth‐grade reading scores were the strongest predictor of educational choice, whereas for men, mathematics scores were the strongest predictor. Implications for theory and counseling practice are discussed.     

Event models and the fan effect

The current study explored the persistence of event model organizations and how this influences the experience of interference during retrieval. People in this study memorized lists of sentences about objects in locations, such as “The potted palm is in the hotel.” Previous work has shown that such information can either be stored in separate event models, thereby producing retrieval interference, or integrated into common event models, thereby eliminating retrieval interference. Unlike prior studies, the current work explored the impact of forgetting up to 2 weeks later on this pattern of performance. We explored three possible outcomes across the various retention intervals. First, consistent with research showing that longer delays reduce proactive and retroactive interference, any retrieval interference effects of competing event models could be reduced over time. Second, the binding of information into events models may weaken over time, causing interference effects to emerge when they had previously been absent. Third, and finally, the organization of information into event models could remain stable over long periods of time. The results reported here are most consistent with the last outcome. While there were some minor variations across the various retention intervals, the basic pattern of event model organization remained preserved over the two-week retention period.     

Filling in the Gaps: Listening Through Dialogue

Over the past 30 years, technology has been introduced into higher education shifting the ways in which learning and student engagement occurs. While the literature suggests that technology offers benefits for improving educational outcomes, few studies have examined how benefits are achieved. This case study presents how the students and instructor of a course on postmodern theory and family therapy developed a praxis-based approach using a digital platform to improve pedagogy. Specifically, using a reflective approach based on ethnomethodology, this paper presents how the members of this course achieved a transformative generative dialogue using an online, simultaneous multi-user document, file-sharing and editing platform. This paper stresses the importance of all members of a course participating in the use of an interactive technological platform to facilitate open dialogue and collaboration.