Effects of hue,brightness, contrast with background,and observation time on figural dominance in ambiguous patterns

Ambiguous patterns composed of two alternate crosses of different hues and brightness on two different brightness backgrounds were viewed for 120 sec by 10 female college students. Each subject observed 92 pattern presentations (23 patterns, each pattern presented in 2 orientations and on each of 2 backgrounds). Effects of hue and brightness contrast with background were clearly demonstrated: blue was the most dominant, red the least, and green and yellow located in between. Brightness contrast of patterns with background accentuated figural dominance of the darker figures. The number of alternations increased over the observation time for hues of equal brightness; however, the relation of this measure to total duration of seeing a figure in studies of figural dominance is unclear. Theories of neural satiation, fatigue, and interaction were used in interpreting the results.     

Lithium therapy for mania and depression

The literature on lithium carbonate was reviewed for clues to the processes involved in mania. Lithium has proved effective therapeutically and prophylactically for mania and depressive disorders. Children and adolescents as well as adults tolerate lithium well. Side effects rarely are serious enough to necessitate having lithium therapy. Some success with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders has broadened the scope of lithium's therapeutic efficacy but also blunted the expectation for a direct relationship between lithium and the processes involved in mania. Research points to neurotransmitters as contributing to the etiology and symptom pattern of mania.     

The coding of constrained and preselected movement distance: Same-limb versus switched-limb reproduction

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the codes subserving the retention of movement extent information. Each experiment compared preselected and constrained movements in two independent movement tasks: same-limb reproduction and switched-limb reproduction. When movement direction was the same for both criterion and reproduction movements (experiment 1), same-limb reproduction was more accurate than switched-limb performance. With movement direction altered, however, switched-limb reproduction was equal to same-limb reproduction (experiment 2). These results were confirmed in experiment 3 which manipulated both movement direction and reproduction limb in a within-subject design. Furthermore, while preselected reproduction was superior to constrained reproduction in all three experiments, the two groups were not differentially affected by either the movement task or direction variables. The overall findings were interpreted as providing support for a multiple-cue memorial representation of movement extent and the notion of coding flexibility.     

Interview training with adolescents—A controlled group study incorporating generalization and social validation

Ten school-leavers were allocated either to an interview-training group (E) or a discussion control group (C) for three sessions. For E group a combination of modelling, coaching, roleplay, feedback and discussion was used to train both verbal and non-verbal interview skills. An attempt was made to programme generalization of treatment effect into training and subjective evaluations of interview skill were made by an experienced Personnel Officer to assess the social importance of the skills trained. After C group had completed three sessions to control for the non-specific effects of being in therapy, they received the same training as E group. Subjects were assessed using videotaped roleplayed interviews at the beginning and end of each training phase. After training E group showed significant improvements on both global and specific ratings of interview skill compared to C group; there was evidence of generalization and maintenance of treatment effect and the social importance of the skills trained was substantiated by the subjective evaluation data. C group then went on to replicate the changes in E group.     

Race vs belief as determinants of attraction,in a group interaction context

Three experiments which tested the’ effects of race vs belief similarity as determinants of prejudiced responding in a live interaction situation,are reported. Two black and two white confederates engaged a white S in a discussion of an issue (ROTC in Experiments I and II and abortion in III). One white and one black confederate agreed with the S’s position and the other pair disagreed. Ss then rated all four confederates on a variety of scales. Results showed strong belief effects in all three experiments but very few race effects. A few measures showed a “renegade effect” against dissimilar white confederates. It was concluded that simply increasing the power and realism of the experimental situation does not in any important way increase the number of racially prejudiced responses. Some conditions which may elicit strong and consistent race prejudice effects are discussed.