The contribution of EEG coherence to the investigation of language

The contribution of EEG coherence analysis to the investigation of cognition and, in particular, language processing is demonstrated with examples of recent EEG studies. The concept of EEG coherence analysis is explained, and its importance emphasized in the light of recent neurobiological findings on frequency-dependent synchrony as a code of information processing between nerve cell assemblies. Furthermore, EEG coherence studies on naturally spoken and written word and sentence processing are reviewed and experimental results are presented giving new insights into the occurrence of "transient functional language centers" within the brain.     

Assessing the Validity of a Theoretically-Based Substance Abuse Scale for Personnel Selection

This paper describes the development of a theoretically-based substance abuse scale to be used for personnel selection. Twenty-eight studies were conducted to validate the predictor. A meta-analysis was conducted using all 28 of the studies (N = 4,118). The mean validity coefficients for bare bones and fully corrected analyses were .25 and .43, respectively. The studies were analyzed according to the type of subject (students, applicants, employees), method used to collect the criteria (self-report, not self-report), and job relevance of the criteria (job-related, not job-related). The method used to collect the criteria was a moderating variable: mean validity coefficients for studies using self-report and nonself-report criteria were .64 and .33, respectively.     

Stigmatization of Non-Normative Family Size Status

Prior person perception studies exposednormative expectations about family size such thatvoluntary childfree and single-child women werestigmatized and large-family mothers were glorified. Incontrast, self-reports find no differences in subjectivewell-being among these non-normative and 2 to 3 child,normative women. To explore mostly white,college-educated, employed women's experiences withtheir real-life family size choices, interviews wereconducted with 15 voluntary childfree, 15 one-child, and15 supernormative mothers of 4+ children, and 15normative mothers completed a comparison survey. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealedpatterns of universal satisfaction, yet stigmatizationacross the three non-normative groups, such as pressurefrom outsiders (including medical professionals) to stay within normative parameters persisted.One-child and supernormative mothers reported thatothers are critical of their child's well-being,intimating selfishness and neglect, respectively. These findings help coalesce the conclusions ofearlier studies.     

Comparing visual perception on conventional cabinet tachistoscopes and computer monitor tachistoscopes

Computer monitor-based tachistoscopes (using a cathode ray tube, CRT) and conventional tachistoscopes differ in experimental control over stimulus continuity, duration, and timing accuracy. This study evaluated the perception of visual stimuli presented with the two different types of devices. An experiment was conducted to compare recognition of visuospatial stimuli (random shapes) presented laterally and centrally in the visual fields for short exposure durations (14, 29, and 43 msec), first with one device and then with another. Results indicated that the subjects’ error rates and laterality patterns were similar on both types of tachistoscopes. It was concluded that perception of visual stimuli presented as continuous images on a conventional tachistoscope may be equivalent to perception of visual stimuli presented as pulsating images on a CRT. Further studies are needed using other types of visual materials to determine the range of visual stimuli for which both types of tachistoscopes measure equivalent perceptual processes.     

A Review of the TFA Counseling System: From Theory Construction to Application

The purpose of this article is to provide counseling practitioners and researchers with an integrative review of the TFA (thinking-feeling-acting) counseling system, Tracing the 12-year evolution of the model from theory construction and instrument development to practical application provides in one place a comprehensive synthesis of published work on the TFA system. The theoretical principle guiding the model was the systematic combination of the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral domains of human functioning. The Hutchins Behavior Inventory (HBI) was developed to assess the interaction of thoughts, feelings, and actions that led to applications of the TFA system in counseling and related areas.     

Immediate and final recall of pictures and words with written or oral tests

Immediate and delayed recall of pictures and words was examined as a function of semantic or nonsemantic orienting tasks and the type of test (written or oral). As expected, semantic tasks generally led to greater final recall than nonsemantic tasks, with semantic tasks even producing positive recency on the delayed test. The evidence for a picture-word difference was largely restricted to the final recall of items involved in negative decisions; for such items the advantage of semantic tasks was apparent only for pictures. This suggests that "congruity" may be an important factor in picture-word differences, with such differences more apparent for the weaker items from negative judgments. Type of test did not seem to be a major factor in determining level of recall, suggesting that reinspecting the recall protocol during a written immediate test does not contribute substantially to final recall performance.     

Film-facilitated arousal and prosocial behavior

The present investigation sought to test the applicability of the excitation transfer model (P. Tannenbaum & D. Zillmann. In L. Berkowitz, Ed., Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 8, New York: Academic Press 1975) to prosocial behavior. This model predicts that for individuals predisposed to act prosocially, arousal transferred from an unrelated source will facilitate such behavior. Two studies were conducted in which male college students, treated in either a positive or neutral manner and shown an arousing erotic or nonarousing control film, ostensibly rewarded and punished a confederate for performance on a memory task. Contrary to predictions, the first experiment found the arousing film increased reward regardless of treatment. In the second experiment, where the neutral treatment was given a more negative tone, the predicted interaction was found. Specifically, subjects treated in a positive manner and shown an arousing film were significantly more rewarding than were similarly treated subjects shown the nonarousing film. While type of film had no effect on neutral subjects' reward behavior, the arousing film did increase their punitive behavior. These results, coupled with physiological and self-report data, strongly support the excitation transfer model.     

Reliability of the Behavior Problem Checklist with institutionalized male delinquents

Interrater and 2-week test retest reliability coefficients were determined for subscales of the Behavior Problem Checklist on 50 males incarcerated in a state receiving facility for delinquent adolescents. Raters were 22 dormitory counselors, 2 of whom rated each child after 1 week and again after 3 weeks of observing the boys. Interrater reliability ranged from .06 to .68 on the various BPC subscales and was .50 overall, reflecting wide variation in the agreement of raters in rating boys on different dimensions. Test-retest reliability coefficients for the same rater at 2-week intervals were higher (.71 overall) and also varied among subscales. Raters were able to agree best on aggressive, acting-out behaviors. Other personality dimensions tapped by the BPC were rated with less reliability in this particular setting.This research was conducted with the cooperation and support of the Alabama Department of Youth Services, Diagnostic and Evaluation Center, Mt. Meigs, Alabama.