Pursuit gain and saccadic intrusions in first-degree relatives of probands with schizophrenia

Oculomotor functioning of 26 probands with schizophrenia, 12 spectrum and 46 nonspectrum first-degree relatives, and 38 nonpsychiatric control subjects was evaluated. Spectrum relatives had more anticipatory saccades (ASs) and lower pursuit gain than nonspectrum relatives, who had more ASs and lower pursuit gain than control subjects. Probands also had lower pursuit gain than nonspectrum relatives and control subjects but did not differ from other groups on AS frequency. Control subjects had more globally accurate pursuit tracking (root mean square [RMS] error deviation) than both relative groups, whereas probands had the poorest RMS scores. Square wave jerk frequency did not differentiate the groups. Attention enhancement affected the frequency of ASs but did not affect either the other intrusive saccadic event or RMS scores. These results offer evidence that eye-movement dysfunction may serve as a biological marker for schizophrenia.     

The Influence of Source Physical Attractiveness on Advertising Effectiveness: A Functional Perspective1

High and low self-monitors heard either a physically attractive or unattractive source promote a new product with either strong or weak arguments. High self-monitors were persuaded by the physically attractive source only when she presented strong arguments. In contrast, low self-monitoring individuals were persuaded by the physically attractive source regardless of argument strength. Neither high nor low self-monitors were persuaded by the physically unattractive source, regardless of the quality of the arguments she offered. Cognitive response and recall data suggest that high self-monitors may have been systematically processing the physically attractive source's message and low self-monitors may have been more heuristically processing her message. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for advertising strategies.     

Temporal regularity of tapping by the left and right hands in timed and untimed finger tapping

The temporal characteristics of repetitive finger tapping by the left and right hands were examined in two experiments. In the first experiment, interresponse intervals (IRIs) were recorded while right-handed male subjects tapped in synchrony with an auditory timing pulse (the synchronization phase) and then attempted to maintain the same tapping rate without the timing pulses (the continuation phase). The left and right hands performed separately, at four different rates (interpulse intervals of 250, 500, 750, and 1500 ms). There was no asymmetry of the asynchronies of the timing pulses and the associated responses in the synchronization phase or of the IRIs in either phase, but there was an asymmetry of chronization phase or of the IRIs in either phase, but there was an asymmetry in the temporal dispersion of the responses in both phases. in the second experiment, right-handed males tapped separately with each hand at three different speeds: as quickly as possible, at a fast but steady rate, and at a slow rhythmical rate. The speed asymmetry present when tapping as quickly as possible (with the preferred hand tapping more quickly ) was reduced when tapping at the fast steady rate and was absent when tapping at the slow rhythmical rate. The temporal dispersion of the IRIs produced by the nonpreferred hand was greater than the temporal dispersion of those produced by the preferred hand in all speed conditions. These results show smaller temporal dispersion of tapping by the preferred hand in right-handed males under different conditions, including submaximal speeds at which both hands respond at the same rate. This suggests that the motor system controlling the preferred hand in right-handers had more precise timing of response output than that controlling the nonpreferred hand.     

The effect of motor preparation on changes in h reflex amplitude during the response latency of a warned reaction time task

Monosynaptic Hoffman reflexes (H reflexes) were recorded from the soleus muscle during the response latency of a warned reaction time (RT) task that required plantarflexion of the foot. The task was done under four conditions of predictability of the response signal (RS), created by the factorial combination of foreperiod duration (1 and 4 s) and variability (fixed and variable). RT varied systematically with RS predictability and was facilitated in conditions that favored prediction of the RS. The response latency was divided into two successive phases by the onset of reflex augmentation: a premotor phase of constant reflex amplitude and a succeeding motor phase marked by progressively increasing reflex amplitude. Reflex augmentation during the motor phase was coupled more closely to the imminent movement than to the preceding signal to respond. The duration of the premotor phase was unaffected by RS predictability, but the duration of the motor phase (like RT) was shorter when the RS was more predictable. The maximum H reflex amplitude reached during the motor phase was greater when the RS was more predictable. The tonic level of H reflex amplitude during the premotor phase was greater in conditions that made prediction of the RS difficult. A second experiment showed that this difference was present throughout the foreperiod. These results suggest that conditions that favor prediction of the RS enhance motor preparation. changes in motor preparation (which affect RT) affect the processes underlying reflex amplitudes in the premotor phase and throughout the preceding foreperiod, in conditions that make prediction of the RS difficult, appear to reflect heightened general arousal.     

Preload and isometric force variability

Two experiments are reported, which examined the relative contributions of preload (resting force level), change of force, and the time taken to achieve the force in determining isometric force variability. The findings showed that change of force is the strongest determiner of peak force variability but that preload and time to peak force have smaller though systematic effects. A formula that predicts peak force variability is proposed, with preload as an additive effect to the ratio between the change of force level and the square root of time to peak force. These findings confirm that these three impulse variables are significant in predicting force variability and that the impact of rate of force on peak force variability is nonlinear.     

Relationships between study organization, retrieval organization, and general and strategy-specific memory knowledge in young children

The present study examined relationships between young children's memory knowledge and their use of taxonomic and color memory organization. Forty-eight 5-, 6-, and 7-year-olds were administered metamemory tests of organization-strategy knowledge and general memory knowledge, and were tested on two study-recall tasks before, and two study-recall tasks after, training in the use of color or taxonomic organization. Study organization (grouping) scores were low before training, but improved significantly in post-training tasks. Training effects were less pronounced for retrieval organization (clustering) and did not occur for item recall. Relationships between taxonomic study and retrieval organization were apparent only for the 7-year-olds, while relationships between color organization at study and retrieval were not apparent at any age level. Relationships between metamemory, strategy-use, and recall proficiency were evident on some tasks for 7-year-olds, but not for younger children. Although teacher ratings of the children's mastery orientations were also found to be related to recall proficiency for the older subjects, specific strategy knowledge was a more consistent correlate of strategy use and amount recalled.     

A test of perceptual enhancement with peripherally presented letter pairs

The present study was conducted to determine whether sensitivity to a member of a pair of stimulus letters projecting to the parafovae would be improved by presenting that member at fixation. The effect was examined for the pair member appearing at a constant distance from fixation, which always was flanked to its inner or outer side. Contrary to expectations based upon results reported by Geiger and Lettvin (1986), observed accuracy changes were found to be due to response bias rather than to sensitivity enhancement.     

When cognitive exertion does not yield cognitive gain: toward an informational explanation of learned helplessness

This study tested a new information-processing explanation of learned helplessness that proposes that an uncontrollable situation produces helplessness symptoms because it is a source of inconsistent, self-contradictory task information during problem-solving attempts. The flow of such information makes hypothesis-testing activity futile. Prolonged and inefficient activity of this kind leads in turn to the emergence of a state of cognitive exhaustion, with accompanying performance deficits. In 3 experiments, Ss underwent informational helplessness training (IHT): They were sequentially exposed to inconsistent task information during discrimination problems. As predicted, IHT was associated with subjective symptoms of irreducible uncertainty and resulted in (a) performance deterioration on subsequent avoidance learning, (b) heightened negative mood, and (c) subjective symptoms of cognitive exhaustion.     

Depressive self-presentation: beyond self-handicapping

An experiment was conducted to examine the notion that depressives' responses would reflect a protective self-presentation style (Hill, Weary, & Williams, 1986), the underlying goal of which would be the avoidance of future performance demands and potential losses in self-esteem. In this study, depressed and nondepressed Ss were asked to perform a relatively simple visual-motor task. Half of the depressed and half of the nondepressed Ss were told that if they were successful at the task, they would be asked to perform a 2nd, similar task. The remaining Ss were given no such expectation of future performance. We predicted and found that depressed compared with nondepressed Ss strategically failed at the task when presented with the possibility of future performance and further losses in esteem. Moreover, this strategic failure was associated with some costs; depressed-future performance expectancy Ss experienced more discomfort or negative affect as a result of their performance. The relationship between this depressive self-presentation and self-handicapping strategies is discussed.