A comparison of response cost and differential reinforcement of other behavior to reduce disruptive behavior in a preschool classroom

This study investigated the effectiveness of response cost and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) in reducing the disruptive behaviors of 25 children in a preschool classroom. Using an alternating treatments design, disruptive behavior was reduced when the participants earned tokens for the absence of disruptive behavior (DRO) or lost tokens for the occurrence of disruptive behavior (response cost). Initially, DRO was more successful in reducing the number of disruptive behaviors; however, over time, response cost proved to be more effective.     

Multimedia comprehension skill predicts differential outcomes of web-based and lecture courses

College students (134 women and 55 men) participated in introductory psychology courses that were offered largely online (on the World Wide Web) or in a lecture format. Student comprehension skills were inferred from their scores on a multimedia comprehension battery. The learning of content knowledge was affected interactively by comprehension skill level and course format. Differences between format increased with comprehension skill such that the Web-based course advantage became greater as comprehension skill increased. This same pattern was not seen when self-reports of comprehension ability were used as the predictor. Furthermore, comprehension skill did not predict course satisfaction. Generally, students of all skill levels preferred the lecture courses.     

Release from proactive interference by experimental amnesia: electroconvulsive shock improves radial-arm maze performance in rats

Rats were trained in an eight-arm radial maze and tested using a proactive interference (PI) procedure. Each test trial consisted of forced choices of four randomly selected arms followed, after a 2-h delay, by free choices among all eight arms. Normally, rats chose correctly during the free choices by entering and retrieving food from the four arms not yet visited during the test trial. Occasionally, an interference trial preceded the test trial by 1.5 or 3 h; interference trials consisted of forced choices of another four arms and an immediate test. The presence of an interference trial lowered test-trial performance (PI). Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) administered immediately after the interference trial had no effect; i.e., PI was still observed. When ECS was administered at the midpoint of the 3-h intertrial interval, performance increased to control (no ECS, no PI) levels. Such release from PI, however, was not obtained, and test-trial performance remained inaccurate when ECS was delivered immediately after the forced choices of the test trial (either 1.5 or 3 h after the interference trial).     

The relationship between comprehension and metacomprehension ability

We investigated the relationship between the ability to comprehend text and the ability to predict future performance and to assess past performance on text. Subjects were poor at predicting performance, which may be why prediction accuracy did not relate to measures of comprehension ability. Measures of comprehension ability did relate to the accuracy with which subjects assessed their performance on tests. Better and faster comprehenders judged their relative levels of test performance over sections of text more accurately than did poorer and slower comprehenders.     

Age differences in implicit memory: fragmented object identification and category exemplar generation.

In a cross-sectional study of 164 participants aged 21 to 91, the authors examined age differences on two implicit tests, fragmented object identification (FOI) and category exemplar generation (CEG), and on tests of explicit memory, attention, and verbal fluency. FOI results revealed impaired perceptual skill learning in those over 60 and a decrease in perceptual priming across young, middle-aged, and older groups. CEG priming was impaired in those over 80. Regression analysis revealed explicit contamination of priming on both the FOI and CEG tests. Across the three implicit measures, age accounted for 4 to 13% of the variance when explicit memory was controlled. Semantic fluency predicted CEG priming, suggesting possible frontal lobe involvement on the test. Altogether, results indicate that age has a small but reliable influence on implicit memory.     

Measuring study time distributions: Implications for designing computer-based courses

In both traditional lecture-test courses and courses delivered over the World-Wide Web (WWW), both beginning and experienced college students reported studying almost exclusively just before exams. Automatic measures (computer records, WWW page hits, and electronic mail archives) confirmed the self-reported distributions of study times. Weekly deadlines produced weekly volleys of taking on-line quizzes, a pattern that was reflected in self-reports of study times. However, on-line study materials were used primarily for review for regularly scheduled in-class exams. Thus, regardless of course format, students engaged in massed practice and did not experience study aids at appropriate times. Computer technology provides new forms of learning for students, as well as opportunities for instructors to observe patterns of student study time. Management of instructional contingencies will be necessary to bring students into contact with the rich cognitive aids enabled by technology.     

Efficiency of arithmetic operations in bilinguals as a function of language

English-Spanish bilinguals solved simple arithmetic problems and were required to respond In their preferred (P) language. the language In which they originally learned arithmetic, or In their nonpreferred (NP) language. Each arithmetic problem required one. two, or three addition operations. Reaction time was a linear function of number of operations. The intercept for the P language was lower than that for the NP language. but there were no differences In slope. The intercept difference was interpreted In terms of translation time. either as translation of the sum from the P to the NP language or as translation from an abstract representation to the NP as opposed to the P language.     

Semantic distance norms computed from an electronic dictionary (WordNet).

WordNet, an electronic dictionary (or lexical database), is a valuable resource for computational and cognitive scientists. Recent work on the computing of semantic distances among nodes (synsets) in WordNet has made it possible to build a large database of semantic distances for use in selecting word pairs for psychological research. The database now contains nearly 50,000 pairs of words that have values for semantic distance, associative strength, and similarity based on co-occurrence. Semantic distance was found to correlate weakly with these other measures but to correlate more strongly with another measure of semantic relatedness, featural similarity. Hierarchical clustering analysis suggested that the knowledge structure underlying semantic distance is similar in gross form to that underlying featural similarity. In experiments in which semantic similarity ratings were used, human participants were able to discriminate semantic distance. Thus, semantic distance as derived from WordNet appears distinct from other measures of word pair relatedness and is psychologically functional. This database may be downloaded from www.psychonomic.org/archive/.     

The helping orientations inventory: Measuring propensities to provide autonomy and dependency help

Research on helping behavior distinguishes between giving recipients the tools to solve problems for themselves (autonomy‐oriented help) and direct solutions not requiring recipients' involvement (dependency‐oriented help). Across three studies, we examined whether individuals can be characterized by dispositional propensities toward offering autonomy‐oriented and/or dependency‐oriented help. In initial studies, factor analyses revealed the two hypothesized Helping Orientations Inventory scales along with an additional scale capturing opposition to helping, all acceptable in internal consistency and test–retest reliability (Studies 1a–1c). Next, we found that the three scales related in distinct ways to constructs from the intergroup (e.g., social dominance orientation) and interpersonal (e.g., empathic concern) helping literatures (Studies 1d and 1e). Additionally, these orientations predicted satisfaction with volunteer behavior (Study 2) and interest in future volunteering (Study 3). Overall, people vary in their helping orientations, and these orientations implicate a range of variables relevant to intergroup and interpersonal helping.