Book reviews

Encyclopaedia of Linguistics, Information and Control. Edited by A. R. Meetham with the assistance of R. A. Hudson. Oxford: Pergamon Press. 1969. Pp. xiv + 718. 300s.

The Biological Basis of Personality. By H. J. Eysenck. Springfield: Thomas. 1968. Pp. xv + 399. $18.50.

Scientific Basis of Dvug Dependence. Biological Council Symposium. Edited by H. Steinberg. London: Churchill. 1969. Pp. 429. 100s.

Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology, Vol. 2. Edited by John P. Hill. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. 1969. Pp. viii + 172.

Memory and Attention: an introduction to human information processes. By Donald A. Norman. Chichester, Sussex: John Wiley. 1969. Pp. ix + 201. 84s. (cloth); 44s. (paper). Verbal Learning and Memory: selected readings. By Leo Postman and Geoffrey Keppel. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 1969. Pp. 501. 12s.

Handbuch der Kinderheilkunde. Edited by H. Opitz and F. Schmidt. Rand VIII/I: Neurologie-Psychologic-Psychiatrie. Redigiert von F. Schmidt und H. Asperger. Berlin: Springer Verlag. Pp. 1060. Price DM385, S96.25.

Digital Computing. By R. S. Lehman and D. E. Bailey. London: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1969. Pp. xxiv + 303. 79s.

Real-Time Computers. By W. R. Uttal. New York: Harper & Row. 1968. Pp. xiv + 338. 93s.     

The assimilation theory applied to a modification of the Müller-Lyer illusion

The assimilation theory of illusions, which utilizes the principle that large magnitudes in a series are underestimated and small magnitudes are overestimated, was applied to a modification of the Müller-Lyer illusion. A close link was shown to exist between the Müller-Lyer illusion, a modification of the Müller-Lyer illusion, and the Sander parallelogram. In addition, a new illusory target was predicted.     

The elimination of interfering response patterns in lever-press avoidance situations

Lever holding into shock and short-latency responses to shock onset are two response patterns that interfere with avoidance acquisition in free-operant and discriminated avoidance situations. In an attempt to eliminate these patterns, an additional timer disabled the lever for a period slightly longer than shock duration. A free-operant avoidance schedule with a warning stimulus, but without the additional timer, constituted the control condition. The lever-disabling timer was turned on by different events in two experimental conditions: (a) release of the lever at the onset of shock, (b) shock onset. Interfering responses diminished most rapidly, and efficient avoidance behavior appeared earliest, when the lever-disabling timer was turned on by shock onset.     

Effects of a conditioned reinforcer upon accuracy of match-to-sample behavior in pigeons

Three pigeons were trained to perform a two-key sequential match-to-sample task. During baseline conditions, food reinforcement was contingent upon the first match response to occur following 8-min periods, and orange illumination of both keys preceded the delivery of food by 0.5 sec. The baseline schedule of food reinforcement was in effect throughout the study. In some conditions, a 0.5-sec flash of orange keylight alone was presented contingent upon mismatch responses that followed variable time periods averaging 1 min. Rate of mismatch responses increased and accuracy of matching performances decreased as compared with baseline conditions. The ability of the 0.5-sec orange flash to reinforce mismatch responses was markedly reduced when it no longer immediately preceded the delivery of food.