Misconceptions about the Fishbein model: Reflections on a study by Songer-Nocks

Songer-Nocks has questioned the generality and sufficiency of Fishbein's model of intentions. It is shown that her conclusions reflect a basic misunderstanding of the model and its implications. Several misconceptions are identified and an attempt is made to clarify some of the theoretical and methodological issues involved.     

Misconceptions revisited: A final comment

Although Songer-Nock's reanalysis of her data is consistent with our earlie comments, her reply indicates that some of her misconceptions persist.     

A cognitive model of musical sight-reading

The author, a professional flutist and psychologist, interviewed four pianists noted for their sight-reading abilities. The results of the interviews are considered from several points of view. Sight-reading is analyzed as a problem in pattern recognition: a movement from a sonata by Handel is used to illustrate the principle of scanning for familiar patterns. The close relationship between musical sight-reading and the reading of conventional texts is also suggested. Finally, drawing on the findings of other studies, a cognitive model of musical sight-reading is proposed. The schematic model of interlocking information-processing systems explains the differences between skilled and unskilled sight-readers; it also explains why some experienced, professional musicians are poor sight-readers. Verification of the model is provided in an additional section in which conversations with unskilled sight-readers are reported.     

Semantic category effects in visual word search

The initial question was whether subjects could categorize a word semantically before they precisely identified the word itself. This failed to occur. When searching a visual display for a single target word, subjects searched at the same rate whether the distractors were in the same or in a different semantic category. However, when the size of the target set was increased to three, then six, items, subjects increasingly used category information to speed their search rate when targets and distractors belonged to different categories. Subjects appeared to perform the task by comparing the category of each display word to the category of the target set.     

Generating complex waveforms

A wide variety of complex waveforms can be generated by approximating the desired analog waveform from an array of digital values. Some basic properties of these digital approximations are discussed in terms of pulse amplitude modulation and sampling theory. The waveforms are generated by transferring the digital values to a digital-to-analog converter followed by a low-pass filter. This usually requires the dedicated use of a computer. We have built a device, incorporating solid state memory, that can store, time, and transfer previously computed digital values, so that a computer is no longer necessary to generate the waveforms. Specifications of the digital-to-analog converter and appropriate settings of the filter are discussed, along with a simplified procedure for calculating waveforms that have line spectra. An adaptation of this procedure enables the device to be used as a high-speed programmable pure-tone source.     

A note on responses to ethyl alcohol before and after smoking1

Differential sensitivity was measured before and after smoking a cigarette by 10 smokers, using 10 nonsmokers as controls. Stimuli consisted of reagent grade ethanol in eight concentrations ranging from 4% to 12%. No significant differences were observed between smokers and nonsmokers or before vs after smoking, although slightly higher overall correct responses and correspondingly smaller jnds were obtained for the nonsmokers. No practice affects were noted among the control group between the first and second set of samples. The findings confirm previous results which had been recently questioned.     

Aligning the eye to the actively or passively positioned hand

Observations were made of the reversal rate of a three-dimensional skeletal cube as a function of observing condition and state of rest or motion of the cube. Perspective reversal rate of the stationary three-dimensional cube is greater than direction reversal rate of the same cube set in motion. Reversal rate of the rotating cube drops with rest, replicating a similar finding with the Necker cube. Comparisons are made with the rotating trapezoidal window illusion. nt]mis|The author is most grateful to Marshall P. Smith, Chairman of the Psychology Department of Trenton State College, for his aid in securing space and college students, and to David L. Hoats, of the Johnstone Research Department, for wiring the apparatus.