Variability in gustatory quality identification

A total of 60 male and 60 female non-smoking undergraduates were tested on two gustatory screening tasks in which solutions representing the four basic taste qualities were used. The solution concentrations chosen were low, but supposedly distinct as to their qualities. Only 16% of the males were able to identify all solutions correctly, i.e., to a criterion of 4 correct out of 7 presentations, as compared to 34% of the females. A further 28% of the males consistently confused the sour and bitter qualities as did 10% of the females. A correction procedure used in one part of the experiment did not prevent this confusion. We suggest that the sour-bitter confusion may be the gustatory analogue of abnormal color vision.     

What we look at when we read

The entire surface phrase structure hierarchy of sentences influences visual scanning patterns in reading familiar material. A general eye-fixation rule predicts the pattern of adults’ eye-fixations in a study of reading predictable sentences: “fixate on the first half of phrase structure constituents.” This rule applies cumulatively at all levels of the surface phrase structure.     

Creativity: Yesterday,Today and Tomorrow

ABSTRACT Nineteenth century science neglected creativity, and the limited twentieth century approach (to 1950) was largely anecdotal. Recently, research has multiplied, although it has involved little experimental hypothesis testing. Creativity comprises many discrete abilities which often do not correlate very much with each other, and creativity and IQ correlate substantially only at lower IQ levels. Much work has been done in developing evaluative criteria for creative scientific production, and on teaching and learning creativity. Future basic research should concern transfer recall, transformations, reclassification, elaboration, incubation, environmental conditions, and motivation. The social consequences of releasing creative abilities are potentially enormous.     

ADAPTATION EFFECTS AND AFTER EFFECTS OF MOVING PATTERNS VIEWED IN THE PERIPHERY OF THE VISUAL FIELD

Different patterns of figures moving behind a window were viewed by subjects while fixating a point 8.5–11° visual angle NW of the display. With prolonged viewing and small figures, the motion appeared to stop completely. With moving figures which stretched the whole way across the field, perpendicular to the direction of motion, a pulsating or wave motion was experienced. A reduction in the number of moving figures was also reported with all the patterns. When the stimulus motion was stopped, the expected after effect of motion in the opposite direction was usually experienced, although in many cases the stopping of the stimulus motion led to an immediate disappearance of the stimulus figures.