Marital disturbance and child problems: A cautionary note regarding hyperactive children

In previous work, investigators have found a relationship between marital discord and childhood conduct problems (aggression) in clinic samples. Given the wide variability of aggression found among hyperactive children,it would follow from previous work that child aggression may be associated with marital discord in a hyperactive population. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 23 boys (ages 5 to 8) diagnosed as attention deficit with hyperactivity. Aggressive behaviors were tracked by the children's teachers for 12 school days. Parental and teacher ratings of conduct problems were also obtained. Additionally, the auditory version of the laboratory Continuous Performance Test was administered. Marital adjustment, overt hostility, and conflict tactics, as reported by the mothers, were not significantly correlated with any of the measures of aggression or conduct problems. In other words, marital discord in families with a hyperactive boy did not explain differential rates of aggressive behavior despite definite variability in both the marital and child behavioral measures. Marital discord was marginally related to severity of attentional deficit on the Continuous Performance Test. The results underscore the need for caution in attempting to extend findings from a general population (i.e., undifferentiated clinicreferred children) to a specific diagnostic subgroup (i.e., attention-deficit hyperactive children).     

The relative efficacy of simulation experiments

A complex in-basket simulation and a paper-and-pencil scenario experiment were used to study relationships between organizational leadership and gender. Separate samples completed identical attitude instruments in the independent studies. Analysis revealed that substantially more of the total variance was accounted for in the simulation study than in the scenario investigation. Also, more overt, gender-based responses were observed in the scenario study. It was concluded that social simulation may tap a deeper level of psychological process and may elicit more subject involvement than typical experimental methods. Thus, the more complex procedures of the simulation, as compared to those of a typical method such as a scenario study, are justified in the study of organizational behavior.     

A stochastic multidimensional scaling procedure for the empirical determination of convex indifference curves for preference/choice analysis

The vast majority of existing multidimensional scaling (MDS) procedures devised for the analysis of paired comparison preference/choice judgments are typically based on either scalar product (i.e., vector) or unfolding (i.e., ideal-point) models. Such methods tend to ignore many of the essential components of microeconomic theory including convex indifference curves, constrained utility maximization, demand functions, et cetera. This paper presents a new stochastic MDS procedure called MICROSCALE that attempts to operationalize many of these traditional microeconomic concepts. First, we briefly review several existing MDS models that operate on paired comparisons data, noting the particular nature of the utility functions implied by each class of models. These utility assumptions are then directly contrasted to those of microeconomic theory. The new maximum likelihood based procedure, MICROSCALE, is presented, as well as the technical details of the estimation procedure. The results of a Monte Carlo analysis investigating the performance of the algorithm as a number of model, data, and error factors are experimentally manipulated are provided. Finally, an illustration in consumer psychology concerning a convenience sample of thirty consumers providing paired comparisons judgments for some fourteen brands of over-the-counter analgesics is discussed.     

Distignuishing the source of memories reported during prior waking and hypnotic recall attempts

Subjects attempted to identify the occasion on which they first reported particular responses to questions that were asked twice during an experiment on hyphosis and memory 1 week earlier. During this earlier experiment, subjects of high and low hypnotizability had been randomly allocatd to one of two recall test sequences: wake-hypnosis ro wake-wake. Recall improved from the first (R1) to the second test (R2) in a comparable manner for both test sequences, indicating a failure of hypnosis to enhance memory. It is noteworthy that, when later queried about the origins of specific recollections, the majority of subjects exhibited a bias to attribute their responses to R1, regardless of whether hypnosis was used during R2. Moreover, low hypnotizables exposed to the hypnotic procedure and, to a lesser extent, high hypnotizables who recalled both times in the waking condition displayed and exaggerated tendency to overattribute recollections to R1. These data indicate that individuals cannot distinguish between memories retrieved prior to hypnosis and those that occured during hypnosis. Implications for implementing judicial standards regarding hypnosis are discussed.     

Gennclus: New models for general nonhierarchical clustering analysis

A general class of nonhierarchical clustering models and associated algorithms for fitting them are presented. These (metric) clustering models generalize the Shepard-Arabie Additive Clusters model in allowing for: (1). either overlapping or nonoverlapping clusters; (2). either symmetric (one-way clustering) or nonsymmetric (two-way clustering) proximities (input data); and, (3). either symmetric or diagonal weights. The GENNCLUS algorithms utilize alternating least-squares methods combining ordinary and constrained least-squares, nonlinear constrained mathematical programming, and combinatorial optimization techniques in estimating model parameters. In addition to developing the mathematical bases of these models, a comprehensive set of Monte Carlo simulations of the different models is reported. Two applications concerning brand-switching data and celebrity-brand proximities are discussed. Finally, extensions to three-way models, nonmetric analyses, and other model specifications are provided.Wayne S. DeSarbo is a Member of Technical Staff in the Mathematics and Statistics Research Center at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, N.J. I wish to thank R. Gnanadesikan, J. D. Carroll, and P. Arabie for their comments on a previous draft of this paper. I also wish to acknowledge the computer assistance provided by Linda Clark. Finally, I wish to thank the reviewers and editor for their very complete reviews and comments.     

Measuring circadian cycles: A simple temperature recording preparation

While measurement of temperature as an index of circadian rhythmicity is not a difficult task with infrahuman subjects, long-term monitoring of deep body temperature with human subjects poses numerous measurement and safety problems. A preparation is described that is highly accurate, inexpensive, chronic, comfortable, and eliminates safety problems associated with more traditional methods of temperature measurement.     

Perceived orientation in depth from line-of-sight movement

Twelve college students viewed computer-generated displays of a cross comprised of two orthogonal dotted lines, and judged the apparent in-depth orientation of the horizontal arm by positioning a horizontal bar mounted on a rotary potentiometer. The vertical arm of the simulated cross was always in the observer’s frontal plane, but the randomly textured horizontal arm was in one of nine orientations relative to the line of sight. Each observer viewed displays in which the simulated cross was, alternately, (a) stationary, (b) approaching the viewer, and (c) stationary but expanding in size. The static texture density gradient in the horizontal arm of the simulated stationary cross mediated perceived orientation in depth. Further, when motion perspective was added to the detail perspective, the impression of depth was enhanced, with the greatest enhancement obtaining at the near viewing distance. When dynamic magnification was added to the detail perspective, the impression of depth was attenuated; this effect was interpreted as an illusory case of motion perspective.