A simple multivariate probabilistic model for preferential and triadic choices

Multidimensional probabilistic models of behavior following similarity and choice judgements have proven to be useful in representing multidimensional percepts in Euclidean and non-Euclidean spaces. With few exceptions, these models are generally computationally intense because they often require numerical work with multiple integrals. This paper focuses attention on a particularly general triad and preferential choice model previously requiring the numerical evaluation of a 2n-fold integral, wheren is the number of elements in the vectors representing the psychological magnitudes. Transforming this model to an indefinite quadratic form leads to a single integral. The significance of this form to multidimensional scaling and computational efficiency is discussed.The authors would like to thank Jean-Claude Falmagne and Norman Johnson for suggestions and advice concerning quadratic forms.     

A mathematical theory of learning transformational grammar

How to explain the fact that children learn language is a central problem for both psychology and linguistics. Suppes says that “the linguists' insistence that they will accept nothing less than a complete and detailed account will probably turn out to be the most important conceptual demand on psychology in this century”. This paper speaks to that demand by presenting a complete formal characterization of the learning process and the language environment in which it operates. The assumptions are in general accord with psychological and linguistic principles. It is proved that the system converges; that is, the learning process, acting on the linguistic information it receives, learns the language, according to a formal criterion.     

How do children form impressions of persons? They average

The experiment reported was concerned with impression formation in children. Twelve subjects in each of Grades K, 2, 4, and 6 rated several sets of single trait words and trait pairs. The response scale consisted of a graded series of seven schematic faces which ranged from a deep frown to a happy smile. A basic question was whether children use an orderly integration rule in forming impressions of trait pairs. The answer was clear. At all grade levels a simple averaging model adequately accounted for pair ratings. A second question concerned how children resolve semantic inconsistencies. Responses to two highly inconsistent trait pairs suggested that subjects responded in the same fashion, essentially averaging the two traits in a pair. Overall, the data strongly supported an averaging model, and indicated that impression formation of children is similar to previous results obtained from adults.     

Speech production: Evidence for syntactically and phonologically determined units

The durational accuracy with which subjects can speak syntactically structured strings of words was compared with their accuracy in speaking word lists. These measurements underscored the great temporal precision of the human articulatory mechanism which appears to be the most precisely controlled movement system of the human body. Evidence is presented that when a syntactically structured message is being spoken, the centrally programmed innervational units involved in its articulatory implementation are greater in size and complexity than when a word list is being spoken.

     

Cortical potentials evoked by confirming and disconfirming feedback following an auditory discrimination

Vertex potentials elicited by visual feedback (signals following an auditory intensity discrimination have been studied with eight Ss. Feedback signals which confirmed the prior sensory decision elicited small P3s, while disconfirming, feedback elicited P3s that were larger. On the average, the latency of P3 was also found to increase with increasing disparity between the judgment and. the feedback information. These effects were part bf an overall dichotomy in waveshape following confirming vs disconforming feedback. These findings are incorporated in a general model of the role of P3 in perceptual decision making.     

The development of retrieval strategies in young children

Two incidental memory tasks were given to 3.5–6.5 yr old children to test for an age increase in the tendency to use a simple indirect retrieval strategy when direct retrieval efforts do not suffice. In both tasks, pictures of people were paired with very closely associated toy objects (e.g., farmer—toy tractor), and the indirect retrieval strategy consisted of thinking to use one member of the pair as a cue to the recall of the other, e.g., turning over the visible but facedown pictures and using them as retrieval cues for the toys. Support for the predicted age trend was obtained in one of the two tasks. It was suggested that the development of retrieval skills in children may show some parallels with that of storage skills.