Variability and sequential effects in magnitude production and estimation of auditory intensity

Magnitude production and estimation data from the same subjects are analyzed in three ways. The coefficient of variation of the ratio of successive responses Inumbers in estimation, SPL in production) are compared; both exhibit, as a function of stimulus difference, the V-shaped pattern previously found in estimation data. A multiple regression of responses on the stimulus and on these events of the previous trial exhibit similar patterns, although the effects of the previous trial in production are somewhat less. The correlation between successive responses, averaged over constant stimulus differences, are very large for small differences and about zero for large ones. These somewhat surprisng results for production are examined from the point of view of an intensity attention band hypothesis.     

Symmetry,scale types,and generalizations of classical physical measurement

A review is presented of a number of recent results concerning fundamental measurement structures with a particular emphasis on generalizations of physical measurement. Relational structures are classified in terms of richness and redundancy of their automorphism groups (i.e., in terms of their symmetries). By means of this classification, the possible types of measurement scales are described, and the possibilities for structures with concatenation operations (either associative or nonassociative and either positive or intensive) and for conjoint structures whose automorphisms factor into component automorphisms are explicitly spelled out. Certain conjoint structures with concatenation operations on components are viewed as generalizations of classical physical measurement and some of their most important algebraic and representational properties are explored.     

THE ROLE OF RESPONSE DELAY IN IMPROVING THE DISCRIMINATION PERFORMANCE OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN

This study investigated the influence of a response delay requirement on the discrimination performance of autistic children. In the context of a multiple baseline design with subsequent repeated reversals, two conditions were compared: a no-response-delay condition, where the child was allowed to make the target response immediately after presentation of the discriminative stimulus versus a response-delay condition, where the target response was permitted three seconds following the discriminative stimulus when the therapist would signal the child to respond. The results showed that the response-delay condition produced higher levels of correct responding than the no-response-delay condition. In addition, teachers in the research setting rated the response-delay procedure to be a practical and effective teaching technique that could be implemented in a classroom setting. The results were discussed in relation to the literature on impulsivity, and were interpreted as indicating that the response-delay procedure provides a valuable technique for teaching autistic children.     

Evidence from auditory simple reaction times for both change and level detectors

We examine the form of distributions of simple reaction time. The stimuli we use are the offset of weak pure tones masked by wide-band noise. The hazard functions of the RT distributions (i.e, the probability of a response given that one has not already occurred) are monotone increasing for very weak tones but become peaked for stronger tones. Of the models available in the literature, none is very satisfactory, although two can account for the general qualitative shape of the peaked hazard functions. We propose a model wherein both a change and a level detector function in parallel. If one assumes that the change detector and level detector have slightly different thresholds, this model can account for both the monotone increasing and the peaked hazard functions.     

Specificity of memory representations for spoken words

Many theories of spoken word recognition assume that lexical items are stored in memory as abstract representations. However, recent research (e.g., Goldinger, 1996) has suggested that representations of spoken words in memory are veridical exemplars that encode specific information, such as characteristics of the talker’s voice. If representations are exemplar based, effects of stimulus variation such as that arising from changes in the identity of the talker may have an effect on identification of and memory for spoken words. This prediction was examined for an implicit and explicit task (lexical decision and recognition, respectively). Comparable amounts of repetition priming in lexical decision were found for repeated words, regardless of whether the repetitions were in the same or in different voices. However, reaction times in the recognition task were faster if the repetition was in the same voice. These results suggest a role for both abstract and specific representations in models of spoken word recognition.     

A statistical model for relational analysis

The diadic relationships existing in a group can be defined in terms of the members' choices, rejections, and their perceptions of being chosen and rejected. The number of possible distinct diads is 45. Formulas are given for computing the expected frequency and variance of the different diadic forms expected, when certain random factors are taken into account. These values must be known if the operation of factors other than the specified random ones is to be studied. Values obtained from two models with different assumptions are compared with empirical values. A simplified treatment is possible for groups with ten or more members.The present problem emerged from research undertaken as part of a project in interpersonal perception being carried out at the Laboratory of Social Relations at Harvard with the financial aid of the Office of Naval Research (Task Order N5ori-07646).     

A choice theory analysis of similarity judgments

The selection of one of several stimuli as most similar to a reference stimulus is assumed to satisfy a choice axiom that permits assigning ratio scale values to each variable-reference stimuli pair. The logarithm of this scale is treated as a distance measure, leading to the following testable conclusions about the pairwise choice probabilities as the reference stimulus is varied. First, the plot is a symmetrically truncated ogive with horizontal tails. Second, if two pairs of choice stimuli have the same midpoint, the ogive of one pair is part of the ogive of the other. In terms of this model, the hysteresis and midpoint displacement effects in the method of bisection are discussed, and relations with Coombs' unfolding techniques are explored.This work was supported in part by grant G-8864 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Pennsylvania. I wish to express my appreciation to Professors Robert R. Bush and Eugene Galanter, with whom I have had a number of very helpful discussions of these ideas.     

Correlations of trait and state emotions with utilitarian moral judgements

In four experiments, we asked subjects for judgements about scenarios that pit utilitarian outcomes against deontological moral rules, for example, saving more lives vs. a rule against active killing. We measured trait emotions of anger, disgust, sympathy and empathy (the last two in both specific and general forms, the latter referring to large groups of people), asked about the same emotions after each scenario (state emotions). We found that utilitarian responding to the scenarios, and higher scores on a utilitarianism scale, were correlated negatively with disgust, positively (but weakly and inconsistently) with anger, positively with specific sympathy and state sympathy, and less so with general sympathy or empathy. In a fifth experiment, we asked about anger and sympathy for specific outcomes, and we found that these are consistently predictive of utilitarian responding.