The effects of adaptation to square-wave gratings as a function of grating orientation

An adaptation technique was used to measure the selectivity or tuning for grating orientation in the visual system for different orientations of the inspection stimulus. Duration thresholds for grating patterns of constant luminance were determined for 13 test gratings oriented from ±5 to 90 deg away from each of five adaptation gratings: 0, 22, 45, 67, and 90 deg. Threshold data obtained for test gratings without prior adaptation indicated higher sensitivity for gratings oriented along the horizontal and vertical axis than along the oblique axis. After adaptation, thresholds increased (sensitivity was reduced) for gratings having similar orientations as the test gratings. However, the functions relating sensitivity reduction to degree of angular disparity between test and adaptation grating did not vary across the five inpsection orientations, i.e., selectivity or tuning for grating orientation appeared to be independent of the orientation of the adapting stimulus.     

Working mothers,sex differences,and self-esteem in college students' self-descriptions

This study examined whether a relationship exists between maternal employment and self-esteem of offspring. A questionnaire incorporating the Adjective Generation Technique (AGT) was administered to undergraduate psychology students from intact two-parent families. Subjects were divided into four categories: males whose mothers worked during their childhood (n=33), males whose mothers remained home (n=49), females whose mothers worked (n=54), and females whose mothers remained home (n=49). Data were analyzed using a 2 × 2 analysis of variance. Results indicated no differences in self-esteem for subjects of either sex in conjunction with the employment of their mothers. Instead, the subject's sex was the critical component affecting self-esteem. Males reported themselves significantly more favorably than did females.     

Validity of Adler's active-constructive,active-destructive,passive-constructive,and passive-destructive typology

This research investigated the validity of Adler's typology: active-constructive, achievement-oriented; active-destructive, hostile; passive-constructive, attention-seeking; and passive-destructive, interpersonal detachment. Four possible measures of the constructive-destructive dimension and two possible measures of activity-passivity were used, with all eight possible combinations being used to establish the Adlerian types (active-constructive, etc.). A total of 192 male undergraduates served as subjects. The Full I-E Scale in combination with the CPS Activity-Lack-of-Energy Scale produced groups that demonstrated the Adlerian relationships, active-constructive, achievement-oriented, and so forth. There were strong secondary personality manifestations within the respective groups.     

Choice reaction time to movement of eccentric visual targets during concurrent rotary acceleration

This study investigates the influence of concurrent rotary acceleration on choice reaction time (RT) to a small, accelerating visual cursor on a cathode-ray tube. Subjects sat in an enclosed rotating device at the center of rotation and observed a 3-mm dot accelerating at different rates across a cathode-ray tube. The dot was viewed at various eccentricities under conditions of visual stimulation alone and with concurrent rotary acceleration. Subjects responded to both vertical and horizontal dot movements. There was a significant inverse relationship between choiceRT and level of dot acceleration (p< .001), and a significant direct relationship between choice RT and eccentricity (p< .001). There was no significant difference between choiceRT to vertical or horizontal dot motion (p>.25), and choiceRT was not significantly affected by concurrent rotary acceleration (p>.1Ol. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of vestibular stimulation on choiceRT to visual motion.     

An investigation of neuronal integrity in severe paediatric traumatic brain injury.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and its association with neuropsychological functioning was examined in the chronic injury phase of paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Fifteen children, aged 10-16 years, with severe TBIs were compared with 15 controls, matched for age and gender. The TBI group was found to have significantly lower levels of -acetyl aspartate (NAA) and Choline (Cho) in the right frontal lobe and generally displayed reduced performances on neuropsychological tests. A correlation between metabolites and reaction times was also obtained. Findings indicate a role of proton MRS as a measure of neuronal integrity following severe paediatric TBI and suggest a potential association of MRS with specific neuropsychological impairments.     

Perceiving images and telling tales: A visual and verbal analysis of the meaning of the internet

This paper uses visual and verbal analysis to delve into the multi-faceted ways in which individuals construct their own meanings and shape their own experiences with the Internet. We build on the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, and the principles of visual rhetoric to show how perceptual processes affect picture choices, and how these choices contribute to the narrative imagination. Numerous perceptual principles [abstraction, concept formation, perceptual problem solving, constancy, closure, symmetry and balance]are identified in the choice and organization of visual images. The argument we make is that images and words (visual and textual processes) provide deeper insights into our understanding of consumer online experiences.     

Experiential Training: Connecting School Counselors‐in‐Training,English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers,and ESL Students

English as a second language (ESL) students present challenges to counselors who are unaccustomed to working with students who speak limited English. A field experience prepared school counselors‐in‐training to develop cultural sensitivity while working with ESL teachers and students. The counselors suggested that early experiential learning fostered multicultural sensitivity and refined counseling skills. Los estudiantes de inglés como segunda lengua (ESL) presentan desafíos para aquellos consejeros que no están acostrumbrados a trabajar con estudiantes con un nivel de inglés limitado. Una experiencia práctica de campo preparó a los consejeros escolares en formación para que desarrollaran una sensibilidad cultural mientras trabajaban con profesores y alumnos de ESL. Los consejeros indicaron que el aprendizaje experiencial en fase temprana fomentó su sensibilidad multicultural y perfeccionó sus habilidades en consejería.     

The effect of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency, speech rate, and speech naturalness

The effects of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency, stuttering severity self-ratings, speech rate, and speech naturalness for 31 adults who stutter were examined. Speech measures were compared for samples obtained with and without the device in place in a dispensing setting. Mean stuttering frequencies were reduced by 79% and 61% for the device compared to the control conditions on reading and monologue tasks, respectively. Mean severity self-ratings decreased by 3.5 points for oral reading and 2.7 for monologue on a 9-point scale. Despite dramatic reductions in stuttering frequency, mean global speech rates in the device condition increased by only 8% in the reading task and 15% for the monologue task, and were well below normal. Further, complete elimination of stuttering was not associated with normalized speech rates. Nevertheless, mean ratings of speech naturalness improved markedly in the device compared to the control condition and, at 3.3 and 3.2 for reading and monologue, respectively, were only slightly outside the normal range. These results show that SpeechEasy produced improved speech outcomes in an assessment setting. However, findings raise the issue of a possible contribution of slowed speech rate to the stuttering reduction effect, especially given participants' instructions to speak chorally with the delayed signal as part of the active listening instructions of the device protocol. Study of device effects in situations of daily living over the long term is necessary to fully explore its treatment potential, especially with respect to long-term stability. Educational objectives: The reader will be able to discuss and evaluate: (1) issues pertinent to evaluating treatment benefits of fluency aids and (2) the effects of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency, speech rate, and speech naturalness during testing in a dispensing setting for a relatively large sample of adults who stutter.