Absence of priming coupled with substantially preserved recognition in lorazepam-induced amnesia

Two experiments are reported on priming when subjects are in an amnesic state induced by lorazepam. The primed tasks were completion of word-stems and generation of words from specified categories. In both experiments, lorazepam subjects showed no evidence of priming, whereas control subjects showed substantial priming. Recognition by the amnesic subjects of items produced in the priming tests, although impaired, was well above the chance level. These findings contrast with those obtained with organic amnesic subjects, for whom priming is typically normal but recognition is grossly impaired. The theoretical implications of this double dissociation between priming and recognition are discussed.     

An investigation of the role of scale values in the DS/AHP method of multi‐criteria decision making

DS/AHP is a method of multi‐criteria decision making based on the Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence and the analytic hierarchy process. Central to the utilization of DS/AHP is the composing of preference judgements on identified groups of decision alternatives (DA) across a number of criteria against all the DA present in the problem in question. This paper exposits a series of results whose objectives are to aid in the development of an effective set of preference scale values for use within DS/AHP. These results relate directly to the concomitant level of ignorance (uncertainty) with the judgements made on a single criterion. Two particular directions of investigation are undertaken, firstly in determining the necessary number of scale values available and secondly finding the necessary differences between scale values, dependent on whether an arithmetic or geometric progression is the basis for the scale values. Through an example, the implications and utilization of these results within DS/AHP are illustrated. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adapting a College-Level Occupations Course to Meet Expressed Student Needs

Detailed reports on college-level courses in occupations are not readily accessible to those persons who wish to establish a program of this nature. The development of such a course is described in this article. Its planners found that students preferred the use of small-size discussion groups and outside resource persons, rather than the previous more-traditional and structured presentation. When students were involved in the preliminary planning stage, in which their expressed needs were learned, a more effective program was obtained.