Effects of hemispheric asymmetry on electrodermal conditioning in a dichotic listening paradigm

It was predicted that when an auditive verbal conditional stimulus (CS+), previously associated with an aversive unconditional stimulus (UCS), is presented to theright ear (initial left hemisphere input), in a dichotic listening task, with the CS-simultaneously presented in the left ear, the result would be greater resistance to extinction than when the same CS+ is presented to the left ear (initial right hemisphere input). In the same vein, it was predicted that, when a tonal CS+ is presented to theleft ear, greater resistance to extinction would occur as compared with when it is presented to the right ear. During a dichotic test phase, each group was split into two subgroups, and the CS+ and CS—repeatedly were presented simultaneously to each ear. Half of the subjects in each subgroup had the CS+ presented to the left ear. The other half had the CS+ presented to the right ear. Skin conductance responses were recorded from both hands. Results showed significantly larger responding in all groups to the CS+/UCS compound during the acquisition phase. However, during the dichotic extinction phase, the verbal CS+ right-ear subgroup showed significantly larger resistance to extinction as compared with the verbal CS+ left-ear subgroup. No differences were found between the two tonal subgroups.     

Out-of school youth in high-unemployment areas: An empirical investigation

A total of 551 interviews were conducted with 16-20 year olds living in high unemployment areas in Liverpool, London, Manchester and Wolverhampton. The diverse ways in which the young unemployed react to their predicaments are described, and explanations are offered for why black youth tend to be less acquiescent than whites. Overall, however, the analysis emphasises the ability of the young people at greatest risk of unemployment to devise their own coping strategies. Counsellors and other careers workers are advised to take these into account: otherwise their efforts are likely to be discounted by their clients.     

Asymptotic clarifications,generalizations, and concerns regarding an extended class of matched pairs tests based on powers of ranks

Recent studies pertaining to an extended class of matched pairs tests based on powers of ranks are discussed. Previous questions regarding the asymptotic properties for this class of tests are clarified and a generalization of this class is described. This generalization raises a previously unanticipated concern about whether or not the analytic comparisons resulting from these tests correspond with an intuitive notion of what is being compared.     

Perceptions of labor market variables by college students in business,education, and psychology

The perceptions of psychic and economic rewards available in different occupations, the perceptions of psychic and economic costs of preparing for these occupations, and the perceived availability of jobs for college majors in business, education, and psychology is examined. The findings indicate that these different majors have quite similar perceptions of these variables despite major differences in occupational choices. Further analysis examines the relationships of these variables to occupational choice for these three groups of college majors. Although the perceptions of rewards and costs have limited independent relations to measures of occupational choice, benefits-to-costs comparisons are highly related to occupational choice for all three groups of college majors.     

Apractic agraphia in a patient with normal praxis

Most right-handed crossed aphasics are not apractic. They usually have agraphia characterized by misspellings but retain the ability to write well-formed graphemes. We describe a right-handed patient with a right parietal lesion who was aphasic and not apractic. He was unable to write any formed graphemes despite a relatively preserved ability to spell aloud. We postulate that praxis and writing are dissociated in this patient because the motor engrams for praxis were located in his left hemisphere and the engrams for writing were in his right hemisphere. In addition, he comprehended commands for limb motor activities (praxis) far better than he comprehended other speech. This suggests that in this patient the areas used to comprehend limb motor commands may be anatomically distinct from areas important in comprehending other aspects of speech.     

A stereotaxic positioning platform for double-angle placements

A simple and inexpensive device for double-angled positioning of electrode carriers during stereotaxic surgery is described. The device consists of a base and adjustable vertical point that is used to locate the position of final stereotaxic coordinates in space. This allows reproducible placements for deep midline brain structures that require double-angle approaches. Such placements are easily obtained with this instrument on standard and even single-carrier stereotaxic instruments.     

Heart-Rate responses (HRR) to lateralized visual stimuli

Direction of changes in heart-rate responses (HRR) were investigated in three separate experiments as a measure of differential cognitive and emotional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres. Visual stimuli were presented via the visual half-field technique in all three experiments. Slides with different contents were flashed for 200 msec on each trial either to the left or right of a center LED fixation point. The LED went on 5 seconds prior to slide onset. HR changes were scored as second-by-second deviations during 10 seconds after LED onset from pre-LED base line. In the first experiment it was hypothesized that emotionally relevant stimuli initially projected to only the right hemisphere would result in more anticipatory acceleration than when the same stimulus was initially projected to the left hemisphere. A picture of a snake and of a geometric figure were repeatedly briefly flashed to the right of the LED for half of the subjects, and to the left for the other half. There were 25 trials with an intertriai interval of 25–40 seconds. Results showed significant effects of deceleration as a function of the slide stimulus in all groups on seconds 5, 6, or 7 after onset of the center LED. Furthermore, an anticipatory acceleration was observed during the first trial-block on seconds 3 and 4 in the right hemisphere groups only with no differences between the neutral and emotional stimuli. In Experiments 2 and 3, a letter-string of six letters and a complex symmetric pattern were used as stimuli. These stimuli were chosen because previous research has clearly implicated the hemispheres to be differentially specialized in their ability to process verbal and visuo-spatial stimuli. The set-up was identical to Experiment 1, with the exception that differences in response to the two types of stimuli were evaluated on a within-subjects basis. The results from Experiments 2 and 3 showed stimulus-related deceleration, peaking on seconds 5–7 in all groups and an anticipatory acceleration peaking on seconds 3 and 4 in the right hemisphere groups, with decelerations during the corresponding seconds in the left hemisphere groups. The results are discussed in relation to recent findings by Walker and Sandman (1982) about the possibility of hemispheric specialization in psychologic influences on heart rate changes in response to environmental demands.     

Preschool teachers' ratings of behavioral problems: Observational,sociometric, and social-cognitive correlates

Behar and Stringfield (1974) have suggested that the Preschool Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ) is a reliable index of young children's social competence. However, there are few extant data in which teacher ratings of children on the PBQ have been correlated with independent assessments of social competence. In this study PBQ ratings of 123 preschoolers were correlated with observations of in-class social and cognitive play behaviors, sociometric status, and social problem-solving skills. Analyses indicated that children rated highly on the PBQ's Anxious-Fearful, Hostile-Aggressive, and Hyperactive-Distractible factors (a) displayed less mature and more aggressive in-class behaviors, (b) were less popular among their peers, and (c) were more likely to suggest negative affect strategies on the social problem-solving measure. Thus, the PBQ appears to be a useful instrument for identifying children with social problems.     

Training parents of hyperactive children in child management: A comparative outcome study

Parents of 44 hyperactive children were assigned to either a behavior modification group (PAT), a communications group (PET), or a delayed-treatment control group. Parents in the treatment groups participated in 9-week training workshops. Parents and their children were assessed before and after the workshops on measures that included ratings of hyperactivity and severity of problems, a daily checklist of problem occurrence, parental attitudes, and direct observations in a laboratory situation. Both treatment methods were more effective than a no-treatment control condition in reducing hyperactivity ratings, problem severity ratings, and daily problem occurrence. Additionally, parents receiving behavior modification training rated their children as more improved than did PET parents, were more willing to recommend the program to a friend, felt the program was more applicable to them, and were less likely to drop out of the program. Nine-month follow-up assessments indicated that treatment parents continued to view their children's behavior more positively than did control group parents. Results are discussed with respect to the implications that an educational approach to teaching child management can be an effective means of reducing behavioral problems in children, that methods differing in theoretical background and actual skills taught may result in similar outcomes, and that a "psychological," as opposed to a medical, approach to the treatment of hyperactive children can have considerable merit.     

Conditioning preparation for the nictitating membrane of the pigeon

A procedure is described for restraining the pigeon while recording movement of the nictitating membrane. The preparation provides a means of studying classical conditioning that combines the rich sensory capacities of the pigeon with the control achieved in nictitating membrane conditioning of the rabbit.