A rejoinder to Pribram

Summary Contrary to Pribram's assertion, Köhler proposed a functional isomorphism between brain processes and phenomenal events; the sense organs are not implied in the isomorphism principle. With respect to the facts of the Köhler-Pribram collaboration reliance on the written record is recommended.     

Integration of melody and text in memory for songs

Two experiments examined whether the memory representation for songs consists of independent or integrated components (melody and text). Subjects heard a serial presentation of excerpts from largely unfamiliar folksongs, followed by a recognition test. The test required subjects to recognize songs, melodies, or texts and consisted of five types of items: (a) exact songs heard in the presentation; (b) new songs; (c) old tunes with new words; (d) new tunes with old words; and (e) old tunes with old words of a different song from the same presentation (‘mismatch songs’). Experiment 1 supported the integration hypothesis: Subjects' recognition of components was higher in exact songs (a) than in songs with familiar but mismatched components (e). Melody recognition, in particular, was near chance unless the original words were present. Experiment 2 showed that this integration of melody and text occurred also across different performance renditions of a song and that it could not be eliminated by voluntary attention to the melody.     

Book Reviews

S idney L evin and R alph J. K ahana (Eds). Psychodynamic studies on ageing
H ans D ieckmann : Probleme der Lebensmitte—Krise, Umkehr, Neubeginn     

Integrated circuit random foreperiod device and digital interval timer1

A digital integrated circuit computer that produces random (as opposed to pseudorandom) foreperiods is described. Also contained in the device is a precision digital interval timer.     

Effects of an Accelerated Reading Course on SAT-V Scores

3 groups of university freshmen took the SAT-V before and after a course in Accelerated Reading. The mean post-test scores for 2 groups increased slightly less than 10 points, while the mean post-test score for the third group decreased significantly. It is concluded that for the type of students used in this study, a course emphasizing speed and accuracy of reading is not of value in increasing scores on the verbal part of the Scholastic Aptitude Test.     

Interference with memory for lifted weight

An adaptation-level model for memory was tested by interpolating different weights between the standard and comparison weights. The results suggest that the model should be modified to account for the general tendency to use alternative categories of judgment with equal frequency. In terms of the modified model, memory for the standard shifts toward the value of the interfering stimulus, the magnitude of shift being proportional to the difference between the interfering stimulus and the value the memory would otherwise have had.     

Comparison of sensitivity of psychophysical and electrophysiological measures of scotopic thresholds in the vicinity of the blind spot

A section of the blind spot was mapped by obtaining detection and averaged EEG threshold measurements using three stimulus light intensities. It was found that averaged EEG and detection measures of the blind spot were equally sensitive when the two highest stimulus intensities were used, although more observations of the stimulus were required with averaged EEG. Detection thresholds were superior to averaged EEG measures with the dimmest stimulus.