A LISP program to determine similarity relations in letter displays

Similarity relations between letters are important in displays used in tacbistoscopic recognition experiments. A LISP program is described that calculates similarity relations on the basis of an empirical letter-similarity matrix or on the basis of feature sharing in a feature-set definition supplied by the user. With either derivation method, there are three options for the type of average to be calculated for target display: (1) the average for the whole target, (2) the average for each letter in the target paired to all other letters in the target, and (3) the average of each letter in the target paired with its immediate neighbors.     

A modified beta binomial model with applications to multiple choice and taste tests

A modified beta binomial model is presented for use in analyzing ramdom guessing multiple choice tests and certain forms of taste tests. Detection probabilities for each item are distributed beta across the population subjects. Properties for the observable distribution of correct responses are derived. Two concepts of true score estimates are presented. One, analogous to Duncan's empirical Bayes posterior mean score, is appropriate for assessing the subject's performance on that particular test. The second is more suitable for predicting outcomes on similar tests.This research was made possible by a grant from the Center for Food Policy Research, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University.     

Exactly how manyp values is a picture worth? A commentary on Loftus’s plot-plus-error-bar approach

Loftus (1993b) has recently argued that hypothesis testing is largely irrelevant and should be replaced with a “plot-plus-error-bar” (PPE) presentation of the data. We agree that such figures can be useful. However, they do not preclude standard hypothesis testing procedures, and they should be used to supplement rather than to supplant the latter. The insufficiency of PPEs is most apparent in the case of mixed designs and factorial within-subject designs. In such cases, there is no single value that is appropriate to represent the standard error.     

Turbulence,emergence and multi-scale modelling

The paper begins with a generic discussion of modelling, focusing on some of its practices and problems. I then move on to a philosophical discussion about emergence and multi-scale modelling; more specifically, the reasons why what looks like a promising strategy for dealing with emergence is sometimes incapable of delivering interesting results. This becomes especially evident when we look more closely at turbulence and what I take to be the main ontological feature of emergent behavior—universality. Finally, I conclude by showing why, despite displaying multi-scale behaviour and some of the characteristics we identify with emergence, turbulence fails to fit neatly into the latter category and is not successfully captured using multi-scale modelling. The complex nature of turbulence illustrates the difficulties in characterizing emergence and why specific criteria are needed in order to prevent every complex behaviour we don’t understand being classified as emergent.

     

Usage of spatial scales for the categorization of faces, objects, and scenes

The role of spatial scales (or spatial frequencies) in the processing of faces, objects, and scenes has recently seen a surge of research activity. In this review, we will critically examine two main theories of scale usage. The fixed theory proposes that spatial scales are used in a fixed, perceptually determined order (coarse to fine). The flexible theory suggests instead that usage of spatial scales is flexible, depending on the requirements of visual information for the categorization task at hand. The implications of the theories are examined for face, object, and scene categorization, attention, perception, and representation.     

Diabetes and psychological co-morbidity in children with a family history of early-onset type 2 diabetes

The present study was conducted to evaluate for depressive symptoms and undiagnosed diabetes in children with familial history of early-onset type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that diabetes doubles the risk for depression and that the duration of diabetes is related to the severity of the depression. Individuals with depression are also said to be at greater risk for developing diabetes. In many cases diabetes is detected whilst screening for depression. Fifty-three children aged between 6 and 17 years were screened for diabetes and assessed for depressive symptoms using the Children Depression Rating Scale, revised version (CDRS-R). Thirty-six (68.0 %) of the children with a family history of early-onset type 2 diabetes had CDRS-R scores consistent with likely or very likely major depressive disorders. Depressive symptoms score was predicted best by the number of generations of diabetes in the family, with an associated r = .65 and adjusted R(2) = .41. As the generations of diabetes increased, the more likely it was for a child to have diabetes (r = .38, p = .005). Four (7.5%) of the children were diagnosed with diabetes. The findings suggest that depressive symptoms are common in children with a family history of early onset type 2 diabetes and may co-exist with diabetes. The independent variable that reliably predicted the child depressive symptoms score was the number of generations of diabetes in the family.     

Predicting integrity with the HEXACO personality model: Use of self‐ and observer reports

Recent research has suggested that a six‐dimensional model of personality called the HEXACO framework may have particular value in organizational settings because of its ability to predict integrity‐related outcomes. In this series of studies, the potential value of the HEXACO factor known as Honesty‐Humility was further examined. First, the empirical distinctness of this construct from the other major dimensions of personality was demonstrated in a high‐stakes personnel selection situation. Second, Honesty‐Humility was found to predict scores on an integrity test and a business ethical decision‐making task beyond the level of prediction that was possible using measures based on a traditional Big Five model of personality. This finding was also observed when Honesty‐Humility was assessed by familiar acquaintances of the target persons. The applicability of the HEXACO model within industrial and organizational psychology was then discussed.     

Relationships between worry, psychotic experiences and emotional distress in patients with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses and comparisons with anxious and non-patient groups

BACKGROUND: This study tests the hypothesis that worry is associated with psychotic experiences and examines whether worry would contribute significantly to emotional response independently of the intensity of psychotic experiences. This study also explores differences in worry between patients with a diagnosis of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, patients with anxiety disorders and non-patients. METHOD: Fifty-one patients with psychotic diagnoses, 40 patients with anxiety disorders and 60 non-patients were assessed on measures of psychotic experiences, cognitive components of anxiety and depression. RESULTS: Dimensions of worry were associated with dimensions of delusional ideation and with psychotic experiences and social worry predicted emotional responses over and above the intensity of psychotic experiences. Both clinical groups had significantly higher levels of worry in comparison with non-patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that worry may be implicated in psychotic experiences and that people with psychotic diagnoses experience high levels of worry. The clinical implications of the findings are also discussed.     

The relationship between bullying, psychotic-like experiences and appraisals in 14-16-year olds

The psychological consequences of bullying have been the focus of much research over the last 25 years. However, the relationship between bullying and psychotic experiences has been relatively ignored despite the weight of evidence which suggests that traumatic events in childhood are significantly related to psychotic disorders. 373 pupils aged between 14 and 16 years took part in the study. They were asked to complete a number of self-report measures which examined their experience of bullying, predisposition to auditory hallucinations, paranoia and dissociation, and beliefs about both the self and the world and about paranoia. It was found that bullying was significantly associated with predisposition to psychotic experiences. Negative post-trauma cognitions were also associated with predisposition to psychotic phenomena as were positive beliefs about paranoia. Being bullied at school and beliefs about trauma and psychotic symptoms may contribute to the development of psychosis. However, it is also possible that these results indicate that experiencing psychotic-like phenomena increases the likelihood that a pupil's interpersonal context is characterised by peer hostility and rejection. The implications of these results are discussed.