Formant frequency characteristics of children, young adult, and aged female speakers

Previous literature indicates that a difference may exist between formant frequencies (F1 and F2) of children, young adult, and elderly speakers. The purpose of this study was to compare F1 and F2 of 3 young, 6 young adult, and 3 elderly female speakers for the /i/, /ae/, /u/, and /a/ vowels. Analysis indicates a trend towards vowel reduction across the life span. These findings support previous research regarding age-associated acoustic changes as well as support for the possible anatomical and physiological alterations which may influence such changes.     

Subliminal stimulation, choice behavior and some personality correlates of subliminal sensitivity

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relations between specific personality variables and the effect of subliminal stimulation on choice behavior. It was hypothesized that subjects with low anxiety, less neuroticism, and external locus of control and the trait of extraversion would be more susceptible to subliminal stimulation. 38 undergraduate students were exposed to subliminal messages urging them to choose symbols instead of numbers or letters. Analysis showed that subliminal stimulation did not generate a preference for symbols over numbers or letters. No support was observed for the hypothesis of an association between susceptibility and personality variables. These results may be explained in terms of symbol choice being a neutral message that did not relate to the subjects' needs and motivation.     

Sensorimotor synchronization: motor responses to regular auditory patterns.

Subjects (N = 32) were asked to synchronize a motor response with tones in auditory patterns. These patterns were created from six tones and six intertone intervals of equal duration. The pitch of the first tone differed from the others. It was found that subjects used three types of timing in their motor response: (1) the first intertone interval was prolonged and the second interval was shortened, (2) the second intertone interval was prolonged and the first interval was shortened, and/or (3) the first interval and the second interval were of approximately the same length. The prolongation of the fifth interval was observed during all three types of timing. The results are explained using the concept of suprasegmental control of timing, which explains a prolongation of intervals at critical control point of the patterns. The occurrence of three different strategies of timing is discussed in connection with similar principles in musical performance.     

Two-stage model for order discrimination

Ulrich (1987), exploring the shapes of psychometric functions obtained in the ternary-response paradigm, indicated several inconsistencies between observed and predicted relationships providing evidence against most popular models of temporal-order judgment. In this paper, a new model is presented. It assumes that there are two mechanisms involved in the order discrimination task: one is responsible for the recognition of whether or not the stimuli are successive, and the second is able to determine their order. The model was tested using Allan's (1975a, 1975b) and Ulrich's (1987) data; the model predictions were found to be consistent with the experimental results.     

Coping with a major stressor: differences between habitual short- and longer-sleepers.

We compared the coping strategies of 39 short-sleepers and 33 longer-sleepers to the stresses associated with the October 17, 1989 San Francisco Bay Area earthquake using their responses to the eight scales of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Over-all, the short-sleepers scored significantly higher on this questionnaire and in general, the pattern of their responses was consistent with inferences that could be drawn from a 1972 paper by Hartmann, Baekeland, and Zwilling.     

DOES CONTEXT AFFECT STAFFING DECISIONS? THE CASE OF GENERAL MANAGERS

A resource dependency framework (Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978) is applied to general manager (GM) selection decisions. Hypotheses are developed predicting associations between organizational contextual features (environmental instability, strategy, organizational performance, size) and background characteristics of GMs selected to head business units (organizational familiarity, functional experience, age). Data were collected on 40 recent GM selection decisions. Findings indicate that organizational contextual features influence the type of GM selected. Key results are that industry instability, organizational strategy, and organizational size were associated with GMs'organizational familiarity (i.e., tenure levels), and that organizational strategy was associated with the age of selected GMs. This study provides support for the application of a contingency perspective to human resource management.     

Inevitable contradictory relationship of psychoanalytic thought with the "Zeitgeist". A plea for reclaiming the sovereignity of psychoanalytic thought

Psychoanalysis is by its nature a sturdy procedure. It does not fit into the frame of contemporary thought patterns and should not, in the author's opinion, be made into something that its conceptual basis does not allow it to become: a partisan instrument. The author extends a discussion that was opened by Paul Parin's article on social criticism in the interpretive process.     

Relationship between the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement--Brief Form and the Wide Range Achievement Test--Revised Level 2 with incarcerated juvenile delinquents

The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement--Brief Form and the Wide Range Achievement Test--Revised Level 2 were administered in counterbalanced order to 50 male incarcerated juvenile delinquents. The analyses showed the similar subtests on the two tests, i.e., Kaufman Reading test and WRAT-R Reading, were highly correlated. The mean standard scores of th e similar subtests were not significantly different from each other. These results contrast with the significantly lower WRAT-R scores found when scores on the WRAT-R Level 1 are compared with those on the Kaufman test.     

Children's estimates of their parents' job satisfaction

319 3rd and 5th grade children were asked to rate their parents' job satisfaction. These ratings were compared to parents' self-reports of job satisfaction. Older children were more accurate in their estimates. Girls were more accurate in rating their mothers, while boys were more accurate in rating fathers. Children who perceived their parents as satisfied with their jobs were more likely to aspire to their parents' occupations than those who rated their parents less satisfied.     

Race, brain size, and intelligence: another reply to Cernovsky

Five sets of observations require explanation. Firstly, within both black and white populations there is a small positive correlation between IQ and brain size whether or not there is control for body size. Secondly, racial differences in average brain size occur such that Mongoloids greater than Caucasoids greater than Negroids especially with control for body size. Thirdly, mammals with larger brains relative to their bodies perform better on learning tasks than mammals with smaller brains relative to their bodies. Fourthly, average racial differences on measures of cognitive performance parallel the differences in average brain size. Fifthly, average racial differences on numerous other traits parallel the differences in intelligence and brain size. It is incumbent on scientists to explain these facts.