Bilateral comparison of occipital lobe sulci: A sulcus identifying algorithm

A procedure for automatic identification of sulci of cerebral hemispheres in magnetic resonance images is presented. The algorithm departs from information of the spatial location of a given feature (e.g., sulcal contour) in one hemisphere and automatically defines its course in the other hemisphere. The automatic tracing of sulci was successfully performed in the mesial aspect both hemispheres in 18 normal individuals. The sulcal location in the target hemisphere was first approximated by assuming an affine transformation between hemispheres, and then refined by local edge analysis. The method produced reliable results in comparing the intersulcal areas (the cuneus), sulcal length, their complexity, and the angle between the pariteooccipital and retrocalcarine fissures.     

Verbal indicators of depression.

Speech content, voice quality, and temporal pacing of speech were evaluated for 11 well and 11 depressed women. Sadness was the dominant mood of the depressed women's speech, whereas happiness and mood neutrality characterized the well women's speech. The well women's tone of voice changed with the content of their speech. The well women spoke with a wide range of fundamental frequency, and the average fundamental frequency of their voices changed according to speech content. In contrast, the depressed women spoke with a narrow range of fundamental frequency, and the average fundamental frequency of their speech was unaffected by speech content. The depressed women spoke with longer pauses than the well women did. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of measures for assessing depression.     

The factor structure and criterion validity of the short form of the Eating Attitudes Test.

One of the more frequently used measures of eating disorders is the 40-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) developed by Garner and Garfinkel (1979). Although originally designed to diagnose anorexia nervosa, the test has recently been applied to nonclinical populations also. In this study, we examined psychometric and validity data for a short version of the scale, the EAT-26. Using a sample of 809 female soldiers in their late teens, results showed that the EAT-26 is reliable, the factor structure is different from that obtained in clinical groups, and the EAT-26 is significantly correlated with body image, weight, and diet.     

Al‐Dhimma: The non‐believers’ identity in Islam

The question as to the status of non‐Muslim minorities in Muslim states under an Islamic aegis has assumed importance once again in our times. The article argues that since dhimma status is secondary to the status of non‐believers, it is necessary that the theoretical basis of this latter relationship should be explored further. The article also points to the need of a fresh analytical understanding of the qur'anic term ‘the people of the Book’ and the possibilities of its wider application. The article reverts to the basic qur'anic distinction between din or faith and shir^ca and minhaj or code of conduct and way of life. The accommodative possibilities inherent in the distinction are briefly referred to.     

Auditory apparent motion in the free field: The effects of stimulus duration and separation

The effects of stimulus duration and spatial separation on the illusion of apparent motion in the auditory modality were examined. Two narrow-band noise sources (40 dB, A-weighted) were presented through speakers separated in space by 2.5°, 5°, or 100, centered about the subject’s midline. The duration of each stimulus was 5, 10, or 50 msec. On each trial, the sound pair was temporally separated by 1 of 10 interstimulus onset intervals (ISOIs): 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 50, or 70 msec. Five subjects were tested in nine trial blocks; each block represented a particular spatial-separation-duration combination. Within a trial block, each ISOI was presented 30 times each, in random order. Subjects were instructed to listen to the stimulus sequence and classify their perception of the sound into one of five categories: single sound, simultaneous sounds, continuous motion, broken motion, or successive sounds. Each subject was also required to identify the location of the first-occurring stimulus (left or right). The percentage of continuous-motion responses was significantly affected by the ISOI [F(9,36) = 5.67,p < .001], the duration × ISOI interaction [F(18,72) = 3.54,p < .0001], and the separation × duration × ISOI interaction [F(36,144) = 1.51,p < .05]. The results indicate that a minimum duration is required for the perception of auditory apparent motion. Little or no motion was reported at durations of 10 msec or less. At a duration of 50 msec, motion was reported most often for ISOIs of 20–50 msec. The effect of separation appeared to be limited to durations and-ISOIs during which little motion was perceived.     

Small group therapy and preadolescent same-sex friendship

On the rationale that group psychotherapy focuses on interaction processes in close relationships, our study sought to investigate the hypothesis that small group therapy would be effective in enhancing intimate friendship in a dyadic relationship. The study group consisted of 102 elementary school students who had been referred for counseling help. Matched by age, sex, and similarity of problem, each pair of students was divided into an experimental group (N = 55) and a control group (N = 47). The experimental group contained eight small treatment groups and the control group contained seven matching small groups, leaving one special education group with no control. The results support our hypothesis that group psychotherapy positively affects intimate friendship of girls and boys. They further suggest the boys' need for such an experience, since without it they markedly deteriorate in intimate friendship. Implications for the group leader are derived from the correlations between gains in intimate friendship and group intimacy.     

Effects of Probabilistic Rewards on Recycling Attitudes and Behavior1

Two studies compared the attitudinal and behavioral effects of certain rewards and lotteries. In a laboratory experimental study, lotteries produced significantly more attitude change than cash payments. The greatest attitude change occurred among lottery winners. In a quasi-experimental field study, subjects rewarded with lottery tickets recycled glass and newspaper more frequently than subjects receiving other individual or group rewards. Attitude change was not affected by the type of reward Implications for the design of incentive programs to increase prosocial behavior are discussed