Strategies for sentence perception

Three experiments are reported in which rapid sequential visual presentation of sentences-RSVP-was used to determine some perceptual processes in sentence perception. It was found that adjectives, when they are actually or potentially modifiers of a noun, are far less likely to be reported than any other part of the sentence. On the other hand, adjectives which are attribute adjectives are as likely to be reported as any other part of the sentence. Conclusions are drawn concerning sentence perception in general.This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, Grant RO1-MH1-4709-05 to J. Mehler.     

On modal logic with an intuitionistic base

A definition of the concept of Intuitionist Modal Analogue is presented and motivated through the existence of a theorem preserving translation fromMIPC (see [2]) to a bimodalS ⁴–S⁵ calculus.Allatum est die 9 Septembris 1975     

Traffic congestion, perceived control, and psychophysiological stress among urban bus drivers

The operation of public transit vehicles in urban centers is a highly stressful job. There has been, however, little detailed analysis of what specific characteristics of the psychosocial or physical job environmental of public transit operators contribute to the high levels of job stress associated with this occupation. In the present study, we show a high degree of association between exposure to peak traffic conditions and on-the-job elevations of urinary catecholamines. These significant relations remain after incorporating various controls for possible selection factors (e.g., job seniority) and health-relevant parameters (e.g., age, smoking). Furthermore, we show that reductions in perceived control on the job partially account for the linkages between traffic congestion and psychophysiological stress.     

Control of gait initiation

The initiation of gait from a standing posture by 6 subjects, who took controlled-length steps, was analyzed. Using an inverted pendulum model, we found that the duration of gait initiation was independent of gait velocity. This finding suggests that subjects' biomechanical constants are the determining factors for initiating movement. Both the instantaneous velocity of the center of gravity at the end of the first step (resulting in the propulsive forces measured on the ground) and the steady-state velocity (resulting in the step length and frequency) varied with step length, whereas step frequency did not. But step frequency and progression velocity were linked, for step frequency always increased in parallel with increased progression velocity. We interpret the correlation between velocity and frequency variations to be a peripheral expression of the posturodynamic control of the step parameters by the progression forces.     

Meaning before grammar: A review of ERP experiments on the neurodevelopmental origins of semantic processing

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review - According to traditional linguistic theories, the construction of complex meanings relies firmly on syntactic structure-building operations. Recently, however,...     

Validation of a shortened assessment of physical self in adults

The purpose was to adapt a brief tool, the Physical Self Inventory-Version b, for the assessment of physical self in adults. The inventory is a refined version of the previously validated version, which was derived from the Physical Self Inventory (25 items). This French validation of the Physical Self-Perception Profile of Fox and Corbin includes a global self-esteem scale. As in the earlier version the current one has 6 single items to assess dimensions of global self-esteem, physical selfworth, sport competence, physical condition, attractive body, and physical strength. Rating is performed on a visual analog scale. Items in the new inventory were stated in the first person and in more general terms to be acceptable to a wider range of subjects. An item of measurement error was added. Analysis of responses of 185 men and 148 women to the new version supported the hierarchical structure. Significant correlations between the scores and constructs like masculinity, neuroticism, and depression indicated external validity. The new inventory showed acceptable psychometric properties for use in idiographic studies.     

Balint After Lacan ... and After

This paper examines Balint and Lacan's views about regression and symbolism, language, and transference. The author points out their similarities, their differences, and then proposes a synthesis through his approach of history, genealogy, trauma, and crisis. Freud's notions of masochism, of fixation (innate or phylogenetic) may thus be renewed, leading to the analyst's capacity to cope with deep regression and borderline (Balint) psychosis and perversion (Lacan) or to psychosomatics, including epilepsy.     

The "style scheme" grounds perception of paintings

We studied the formation of style scheme (identification of the style that characterizes an artist) presenting 100 participants aesthetic visual stimuli. Participants were Spanish university students who volunteered: 72 women, 28 men of mean age 22.8 yr. Among those 50 were enrolled in History of Art and 50 students in Psychology. Stimuli belonged to different categories--High Art (pictures of well-known artists, like Van Gogh)/Popular Art (decorative pictures like Christmas postcards) and Representational (pictures with explicit meaning content, like a landscape)/Abstract (pictures without explicit meaning content, like Pollock's colored stains). Analysis using Signal Detection Theory techniques focused on how participants discriminate representational and abstract pictures. With High Art stimuli, participants can better discriminate representational paintings than abstract ones. However, the difference in discrimination between representational and abstract pictures diminishes among participants studying History of Art. It seems that prior education in art favors forming style schemes and to some extent enables the participant to detect the "meaning" in High Art abstract paintings.     

Psychological characteristics of elderly insomniacs

Sixty insomniacs, aged 60 years or over, fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for primary insomnia, completed a set of questionnaires measuring psychological distress. These included the Sleep Impairment Index (SIM), the Symptom Check List 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) and the Elders Life Stress Inventory (ELSI). The insomniacs were compared on these measures with two contrast groups, one of elderly good sleepers and one an elderly community sample. As norms were developed for the SCL-90-R and PSWQ, insomniacs were also contrasted with the norm groups on these measures. In general, the results indicated a higher level of psychological distress among insomniacs than among the good sleepers, while there were negligible differences between insomniacs and the community sample on most measures. Overall, elderly insomniacs scored higher on measures of worry compared with the other groups, followed by measures of somatization, obsessive-compulsion and depression. It is concluded that excessive worrying was the most characteristic feature of elderly insomniacs.