Individual response patterns in binary choice tasks with nondiscriminable stimuli

The present experiment sought to determine whether individual Ss tend to employ repeatedly the same response patterns in binary choice tasks containing nondiscriminable stimuli and, if so, whether the response sequences when used to constructstimulus sequences improve the performance of other choice tasks. Information and frequency analyses of the response sequences of 48 Ss showed moderate consistency of patterning within a light and within a tone task. Performance of a card task following the light and tone tasks was closely related to the task (light or tone) from which the stimulus sequence was obtained. The frequency analysis showed that repetition patterns were preferred by most Ss but at the expense of alternation responses. The presentation of reinforcement in the card task did not improve performance over that observed in the light and tone tasks.     

Frequency distribution of interresponse times during VI and VR reinforcement

A detailed analysis was made of the interresponse times (IRTs) of two rats under both a VI 40-sec and a VR 15-sec schedule. Except for the latency of the first response after a reinforcement, the mean IRTs of all further responses differed little. Similarly, the frequency distributions of the successive IRTs did not vary greatly, but were of no simple form. Sequential dependencies between successive IRTs were small, never accounting for more than 1% of the variance.     

Effects of Race,Racial Identity Development,and Orientation Style on Perceived Consultant Effectiveness

This study explores Black teachers' preferences for and ratings of consultant effectiveness as a function of consultant race, consultant style, and teacher stage of racial identity development. No significant differences were noted in preferences for either a same- or opposite-race consultant. Participants preferred and rated as more effective an instrumentally oriented consultant.     

Time-stamping computer events to report .1-msec accuracy of events in the Micro Experimental Laboratory

A critical problem in most real-time programming tasks is the verification that timing of the presented displays and recorded events occur at the expected times. It is often difficult for psychologists to verify critical timing because of the lack of costly specialized tools and technicians to measure events with millisecond accuracy. Algorithms utilized in a new Time Audit mechanism, added to the Micro Experimental Laboratory, are described. This new mechanism involves the recording and time stamping of all input and output events with 0.1-msec accuracy. This allows the experimenter to determine the initiation, duration, and termination of each event and also makes it possible to relate these events to the synchronization of the screen refresh cycle. A customized user interface provides a time log and event-tracing feature that enables nonprogrammers to determine the duration of command execution to the .1-msec level, allowing rapid, precise assessment of program execution. The resulting time log provides a detailed specification of the experimental events for debugging and a permanent record of the experimental procedure.     

Can a shuttlebox computer analog be used to condition human avoidance behavior?

Freedman (1990) introduced a computer analog of the shuttlebox paradigm and presented results to show that this analog could be used for studying human avoidance conditioning. In the present study, a first experimental phase was conducted to test how the fact that the tone was considered aversive in the instructions and the intensity of this tone affect avoidance behavior. In a transfer-of-control test phase, it was tested as to whether the warning stimulus presented as a cue to the aversive stimulus had acquired either aversive or informative quality. An effect of instructions was observed for both levels of the auditive stimulus, and a stimulus effect was found for those groups that were given the instructions that described the tone as aversive. In the case of subjects who in the first phase achieved a certain learning criterion, it was recorded how often they in the second phase selected a condition in which the warning signal of the first phase was not presented. No transfer of control was observed. Thus, no positive evidence was found indicating that Freedman’s computer analog could be used for studying human avoidance conditioning.     

Mental image reversal and verbal recoding: When ducks become rabbits

A recent debate has concerned whether classical bistable configurations (e.g., duck/rabbit) can be reinterpreted using mental imagery. Research in this field indicates that image reversal is possible only when subjects change their specification of orientation. In a series of four experiments, we demonstrate that mental reversal of classical bistable configurations( CBCs) is impeded by verbally recoding the visual pattern at the time of input. When subjects were prevented from verbally recoding visual stimuli in short-term memory, they fared systematically better in mentally reversing the CBC, even when they received no instructions to change their reference frame or specification of orientation. On this basis, we suggest a model of image reversal that takes into account the interaction between memory codes and provides a new perspective on verbal recoding, verbal overshadowing, and mental discoveries.     

Maladjustment in statistical minorities within ethnically unbalanced classrooms

Ascertained if being a member of a statistical minority influences children's adjustment in school, as measured by the AML, a teacher-administered adjustment rating scale. Teachers from a southwest school district evaluated elementary students on aggressive, acting-out behaviors, moody-internalized behaviors, and learning difficulties. Analyses conducted on 376 students revealed significant effects of statistical minority status on certain dimensions of adjustment ratings for both Hispanic and Anglo students. Hispanic students in the statistical minority received poorer ratings on the moodiness dimension of the AML than nonminority Hispanic students. Anglo students in the statistical minority received poorer ratings on the aggression dimension of the AML than nonminority Anglo students. These results were interpreted in terms of cultural differences in coping with statistical minority status. Traits commonly exhibited within a culture may intensify and be perceived as maladaptive when stress resulting from being a minority occurs. Implications of the finding that statistical minority status within the school environment influences adjustment are discussed.     

Maximal weakly-intuitionistic logics

This article introduces the three-valuedweakly-intuitionistic logicI ¹ as a counterpart of theparaconsistent calculusP ¹ studied in [11].I ¹ is shown to be complete with respect to certainthree-valued matrices. We also show that in the sense that any proper extension ofI ¹ collapses to classical logic.The second part shows thatI ¹ is algebraizable in the sense of Block and Pigozzi (cf. [2]) in a way very similar to the algebraization ofP ¹ given in [8].In the last part of the paper we suggest the definition of certain hierarchies of finite-valued propositional paraconsistent and weakly-intuitionistic calculi, and comment on their intrinsic interest.     

Relationships between time of day,day of the week,and positive mood: Exploring the role of the mood measure

This study examined the relationship between time of day, day of the week, and two measures of positive affect (PA). According to previous research and the circumplex model of affect, one scale was designed to assess the activation component of PA, and the other one measured the pleasantness aspect. Subjects rated their mood three times a day for 7 consecutive days. Consistent with our hypotheses, PA-Pleasantness showed a peak on the weekend, whereas PA-Activation remained stable throughout the week. Regarding time of day, maximum PA-Activation was reached in the afternoon. In contrast, the Pleasantness component of PA increased from morning to evening. Implications of these results as well as other findings concerning the differential content of PA measures are discussed regarding the fact that a certain scale is most appropriate and maximally valid for representing certain aspects of affective experience.We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers and the associate editor, Robert A. Baron, for their constructive comments on an earlier version of this article.