The Role of Visual Perception in the Reproduction of Bender-Gestalt Designs

Four groups (controls, organics, acute and chronic schizophrenics) of 14 Ss each were matched for age, sex and intelligence. The principal tasks involved (1) reproducing the designs and (2) matching according to similarity a series of 8 design-choices with varying degrees of distortion from most-like to least-like the stimulus designs. The results confirmed the hypotheses (1) that perception of the B-G designs does not significantly differentiate between normal subjects and subjects manifesting psychopathology while (2) there exists a significant difference regarding reproduction of the designs between the groups. These findings are considered to be in agreement with current conceptualization of perception.     

A pictorial attitude test for the evaluation of In-Service training programs

Two sets of pictures of hospital scenes were developed to permit assessment of attitudinal changes expected from training in the area of care and treatment of hospitalized mental patients. Response range is restricted; a scoring guide facilitates scoring. Interscorer reliability is .97. Equivalence of the two parallel forms appears adequate. A pilot study and cross validation suggest validity (significant mean differences between professional and nonprofessional hospital employees and between nonprofessional personnel and people in general). Use of the picture test in the assessment of attitude change in employees participating in a number of training programs indicates sensitivity and utility of the instrument.     

Diversity in Collaborative Task-systems

An analysis is presented of how group representatives develop a collaborative task-system and cope with a number of diversity issues in the intergroup task: heterogeneity of group membership and social identity, diversity of interests and resources. The data were obtained during a three-day training and simulation course in which a number of international consultants, taking the roles of the relevant interest parties, developed a collaborative task-system in order to deal with the economic deterioration of an island in the area of St Petersburg, Russia. Observations are provided on how the representatives, lacking pre-established roles and procedures, coped with the convener role, developed the domain of collaboration, and managed the interest and contributions of the different parties. Evidence suggests that, without proper training, participants converge around the vision of an ideal future state, but, being unable to cope effectively with differences, leave the realization of action to bilateral negotiation.     

What is it like to be Oscar?

Oscar is going to be the first artificial person — at any rate, he is going to be the first artificial person to be built in Tucson's Philosophy Department. Oscar's creator, John Pollock, maintains that once Oscar is complete he will experience qualia, will be self-conscious, will have desires, fears, intentions, and a full range of mental states (Pollock 1989, pp. ix–x). In this paper I focus on what seems to me to be the most problematical of these claims, viz., that Oscar will experience qualia. I argue that we have not been given sufficient reasons to believe this bold claim. I doubt that Oscar will enjoy qualitative conscious phenomena and I maintain that it will be like nothing to be Oscar.     

Field dependence-independence and social traditionalism

Three independent variables—ethnicity, sex, and urbanism—were used to investigate differences in the cognitive style, field dependence-independence, among six ethnic subcultures of Trinidad. It was assumed that differences in field dependence-independence reflected differences in adherence to values of social traditionalism among the six subcultures. The major hypothesis of the study was that a field-dependent cognitive style would be functional for the maintenance of social traditionalism, whereas a field-independent cognitive style would facilitate modernization. It was found that ethnicity, sex and urbanism were significant predictors of field dependence-independence, but because of a significant interaction effect, the results were not uniform. Ethnicity was the strongest predictor of cognitive style, for example, but whether it did, in fact, significantly predict field dependence-independence depended on the sex and the urbanism of the subjects. Consequently, the hypothesized rank order of ethnic groups by field dependence-independence held only for urban males.     

Development and transfer of interactive videodisc instructional technology

Interactive videodisc instruction is described along with issues involved in the development of the method.     

Withdrawal From Coparenting Interactions During Early Infancy

This study examines early withdrawal in the coparenting system, and the utility of a brief problem‐solving discussion about coparenting responsibilities as a means for evaluating such withdrawal. One hundred and fifteen couples were evaluated both prenatally and at 3 months postpartum. During prenatal assessments, parents rated their personalities and completed marital assessments. After the baby arrived, they completed a negotiation task in which they discussed disputes about parenting roles and responsibilities, and interacted together with the baby in a triadic play assessment. Fathers' but not mothers' withdrawal during coparenting negotiations was associated with greater disengagement and less warmth during triadic play and with fathers' feelings that mothers did not respect their parenting. Fathers' but not mothers' withdrawal during coparenting negotiations was also forecast by low ego resilience and by an increase in depressive symptomatology during the postpartum. As the negotiation task appeared to be an effective provocateur of withdrawal when confronting coparenting disagreement, it may prove useful for eliciting this aspect of coparental process in work with couples.