Anomalous brain dominance and the immune system: Do left-handers have specific immunological patterns?

Geschwind and Behan (1982) and Geschwind and Galaburda (1985a, 1985b, 1985c) suggested a correlation between brain laterality and immune disorders. To test whether this hypothesis holds true not only for the frequency of immune diseases and circulating autoantibodies, but extends also to cellular immunity, we examined the association between handedness and markers of cellular immunity. Twenty-seven left-handed and 37 right-handed subjects were serologically screened for cellular parameters and 22 left-handed subjects were typed for human leukocyte antigen (HLA). When compared to the right-handers, the left-handed group showed a significant decrease in the inflammatory cell types CD3(+) T cells (total T cells), CD4(+) T cells (T-helper cells), and HLA-Dr (MHC-II, antigen-presenting cells) as well as in the CD19(+) cells (B cells) and CD16/CD57(+) cells (natural killer cells). We assume a relationship exists between cerebral hemispheric specialisation and the immune system not only for humoral but also for cellular immunity, and we discuss the role of the major histocompatibility complex in neurological and immunological development.     

Successful women and women's colleges: Is there an intervening variable in the reported relationship?

This study examined the relationship between career success and the baccalaureate degree origin of women. Analyses of data collected on the educational backgrounds of 126 successful women confirmed previous findings that graduates of women's colleges were more likely to attain career success than graduates of coeducational institutions. Results also identify graduate education as a possible intervening variable in the relationship.The authors wish to thank Dr. Elizabeth Tidball for providing us invaluable data she accumulated for previous studies.     

Effects of US-Alone Presentations on Human Evaluative Conditioning

In the context of evaluative conditioning, the effects of additional presentations of the unconditioned stimulus (US) prior to conditioning (US preexposure) or after conditioning (US postexposure) were examined using between- and within-subjects control conditions. Two experiments that differed with respect to the nationality of the subjects were conducted. In both experiments, US-alone presentations reduced the magnitude of the evaluative response. The US pre- and postexposure effects were observed in subjects classified as aware as well as in subjects classified as unaware of the experimental contingencies. Another finding is that the evaluative conditioning procedure described by Martin and Levey (1978; Levey & Martin, 1975) resulted in reliable conditioning effects also in an American sample, thus extending the scope of that special evaluative conditioning paradigm. The findings are discussed in the context of recent models of classical and evaluative conditioning. Especially, the unexpected US postexposure effect gives rise to speculations concerning the learning process underlying evaluative conditioning.     

BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC FOOD REFUSAL IN HANDICAPPED CHILDREN

In this study, we examined the eating behavior of four handicapped children, none of whom exhibited self-feeding skills. All children had a history of food refusal and were nutritionally at risk; one child received all nourishment by way of a gastrostomy tube. Baseline data taken during mealtimes indicated that all children accepted very little food, expelled food frequently, and engaged in a number of disruptive behaviors. Treatments consisted of one or more of the following contingent events: social praise, access to preferred foods, brief periods of toy play, and forced feeding. Results of multiple-baseline and reversal designs showed marked behavioral improvement for each child and increases in the amount of food consumed. Further improvements were noted at follow-up, which ranged from 7 to 30 months posttreatment.     

Perceived punishment and reward values of supervisor actions

The study investigated employee perceptions about the reward or punishment values inherent in a variety of supervisor actions. Actions viewed as most rewarding were generally actions that possessed (a) public visibility, (b) tangibility, (c) implied esteem, and (d) long-term implications. Actions viewed as punishing or aversive involved similar characteristics. Visibility appeared to be most strongly related to perceived severity. In contrast with suggestions in the literature (cf. León, 1981), substantial levels of agreement among raters were found for aversive as well as rewarding actions. Also reviewed are characteristics of leader actions that received mixed ratings from respondents.     

When item recognition and visual search functions are similar

The effect of prolonged practice upon item recognition performance was investigated under conditions of nested positive sets and complete response consistency. Nesting is defined by each positive set containing all the items contained in smaller positive sets. Response consistency is defined by each item in the stimulus set consistently requiring only a positive or only a negative response. A low error level was maintained. Twelve Ss worked with three positive set sizes in each of 36 sessions. Half the Ss worked with digit stimuli and half with pictures. The item recognition function (that function relating response latency and positive set size) was found to be negatively accelerated throughout the course of practice. The effect of positive set size decreased significantly (p < .001) with practice, and set size effects were significantly (p < .03) greater for positive response trials than for negative response trials. Kind of item had no effect on the set size effect. A theoretical framework consistent with these results is suggested. Results from the present study are compared with findings obtained previously from visual search studies. It is concluded that when the procedures in both tasks include response consistency, nested positive sets, and low error levels, the effects of prolonged practice upon the set size from item recognition and visual search are qualitatively very similar.     

TEMPORAL INTEGRATION OF PERCEPTUAL RESPONSE TO SUPRALIMINAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION

E kman , G., F röberg , J. & F rankenhaeuser , M. Temporal integration of perceptual response to supraliminal electrical stimulation. Scand. J. Psychol ., 1968, 9, 83–88.—The effect of duration of electrical stimulation on perceived unpleasantness was investigated in 10 subjects. Duration of stimulation ranged from 0.05 to 3.00 sec. Three levels of intensity were investigated representing 2, 3, and 4 times the individual sensation threshold. For all stimulus intensities perceived unpleasantness was a simple logarithmic function of stimulus duration over the whole temporal range. This relation describes the trend of both the group data and the data from most individual subjects. The results support previous findings over a narrower temporal range and agree with results recently obtained in several additional sense modalities.     

The High School Dropout Goes to College

662 former secondary school leavers of academic potential were identified for a program designed to give selected dropouts a chance to enter the University of Toledo. Following responses to questionnaires, 94 students were selected for further screening, which resulted in the final selection of 50 candidates. 34 members of the experimental group attended pre-school workshops in reading, writing, and study habit skills. 31 enrolled as regularly admitted students in academic programs of the university for the academic year. 11 completed their freshman year, although only 4 were making satisfactory academic progress.     

Effects of prolonged gravitational stress on performance

Effects of prolonged radial acceleration on performance were studied in eight series of experiments: (I) Visual choice reaction time, (II) Visual acuity, (III) Accuracy of movement, (IV) Perceptual speed, (V) The Stroop test, (VI) The 100 - 3 test, (VII) Multiplication and (VIII) Time perception.