Reaction time as a function of the intensity and probability of occurrence of vibrotactile signals

Three Ss made judgments of the presence or absence of a burst of 60-cps vibration onthe index fingertip.The probability of S’s reporting the presence of a signal was found to be influenced by signal probability and signal intensity. Mean reaction time for reporting the presence of a signal decreased as a function of signal intensity and signal probability whereas mean reaction time for reporting the absence of a signal increased as a function of signal intensity and signal probability. On trials where no signal was presented mean R T for reporting a signal decreased with increases in the signal probability whereas mean RT for reporting the absence of a signal increased with increases in signal probability. The results were interpreted as support for the hypothesis that S’s decision time was longer the closer on the sensory continuum a particular observation was to his criterion.     

A NOTE ON INTEROCULAR TRANSFER AND THE COLOUR OF VISUAL AFTER-IMAGES

Following monocular fixation of a red stimulus figure on a grey background, a projection field having the same colour as the stimulus figure was viewed either with ( a ) the stimulated eye, or ( b ) the non-stimulated eye. In case ( a ) the after-image appeared grey on a red background, but in case ( b ) green or blue, on a red background. In the latter case the brightness and to some extent the hue of the after-image varied when the amount of light coming to the originally stimulated eye varied. The data are in agreement with the assumption that after-images are primarily retinal.     

ON THE ONTOGENETIC DEVELOPMENT OF MORAL CRITERIA

Changes in the dimensionality of the moral criteria, i.e. of those aspects of an action-sequence to which a person pays attention when judging how good/bad (nice/naughty) the agent is, were studied with 7-, 10-, and 13-year-old girls and adult subjects. Action sequences varying in respect to potential moral criteria were presented as cartoons. A proximity setting technique and Kruskal's (1964) method of analysis were used. In the younger age groups a remorse-spite-dimension was obtained, the motive criterion becoming more dominant and differentiated with age. Methodological problems are discussed.     

Getting engaged: A case study and a model of the engagement period as a process of conflict-resolution

This paper addresses the problem of why so many marriages end in divorce. It develops a preventative approach to marital breakdown by proposing pre-marital counselling as a resource to be made widely available to couples. The key psychological issues which a counsellor could use as the backbone of any such counselling or therapeutic work are outlined. It is suggested that these issues are part of the psychological ‘working-through’ period during an engagement, when the couple are preparing for marriage. The psychological difficulties that an individual may be struggling with are illustrated via an account of psychodynamic psychotherapy with a young woman during the year of her engagement.     

The relationship of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other illegal drug use to delinquency among Mexican-American, black, and white adolescent males

This study examined the relationship between drug use and delinquent behavior among 348 high school males (154 whites, 172 Mexican-Americans, and 22 blacks) and 89 adjudicated delinquent males confined to a maximum-security facility for violent and repeat offenders (37 whites, 25 Mexican-Americans, and 27 blacks). Data were collected in the spring of 1986 using self-administered questionnaires. Analyses were performed separately for each racial subgroup. Simple correlations revealed that self-reported alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other illegal drug use were all significantly related to both minor and violent delinquency for all three racial groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the use of these substances accounted for 40% to 47% of the variance in minor delinquency and for 59% of the variance in violent delinquency among blacks, 53% of the variance in violent delinquency among Mexican-Americans, and 34% of the variance in violent delinquency among whites. The best predictors of violent delinquency were the frequent use of illegal drugs other than marijuana and use of tobacco, in that order, among Mexican-Americans; the frequent use of other illegal drugs, marijuana, and tobacco, in that order, for whites; and the frequent use of illegal drugs, followed by marijuana, for blacks.     

Coping and job performance

An organizational field study comprising 42 subjects examined the relationship between growth-oriented coping and subsequent job performance. Growth orientation was measured using the 7-item growth scale obtained from the Lazarus Ways of Coping Checklist. The hypothesized relationship between growth orientation and job performance was confirmed. Individuals obtaining high evaluations of managerial performance emphasized growth-oriented strategies in their behaviors. Further research directions are introduced.     

The Ways of Coping instrument: reliability and temporal stability for a sample of employees

Convergent support is demonstrated for the use of seven empirically derived scales of the Ways of Coping instrument developed by Lazarus and his colleagues. While the instrument is widely used, until now the internal consistency of the coping measures and stability of the factor structure have yet to be shown for a sample of employed adults. While type of job and type of coping incident reported are not dependent, analysis indicates that work and nonwork groups differ across several coping dimensions. Research implications and directions are addressed.     

CONCEPT LEARNING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

Abstract —Concept teaming and learning strategies of pigeons were manipulated in a matching-Co-sample task. Groups of 4 pigeons responded either 0, J, 10, or 20 times to a sample stimulus, and then chose between a matching comparison stimulus and a nonmatching comparison stimulus. Tests with unfamiliar arrangements of the three training stimuli showed that learning was not by if-then rules. Tests with novel stimuli showed that as the number of sample responses increased, learning about the configural pattern of each display gave way to more teaming about the sample-comparison relationship and more concept learning. Pigeons making the most sample responses showed complete concept teaming.     

Attachement,solitude et détresse psychologique chez des jeunes adultes

La présente étude vise à examiner la nature des liens entre les styles d'attachement (sécurisant, anxieux/ambivalent et évitant), la solitude et la détresse psychologique (dépression, anxiété, agressivité et problèmes cognitifs) chez des jeunes adultes. L'échantillon se compose de 407 étudiants de niveau collégial dont l'âge moyen se situe à 18 ans. Les sujets doivent répondre à deux questionnaires d'évaluation du style d'attachement, à l'échelle de solitude UCLA, ainsi qu'à l'index de symptômes psychiatriques. Les résultats laissent voir que les individus ayant un style d'attachement sécurisant rapportent moins de symptômes de dépression et de sentiments de solitude que les sujets des styles anxieux/ambivalent et évitant. De même, ils vivent moins d'anxiété, d'agressivité et de problèmes cognitifs que les individus du style anxieux/ambivalent. Par ailleurs, les individus du style d'attachement anxieux/ambivalent sont plus déprimés, anxieux et agressifs que les individus du style évitant. Par contre, aucune différence significative ne ressort entre les sujets des styles d'attachement anxieux/ambivalent et évitant sur le plan des problèmes cognitifs et de la solitude. Des analyses de régression multiple montrent que l'attachement anxieux/ambivalent et la solitude expliquent un pourcentage significatif de la variance associée à la détresse psychologique. Enfin, il ressort que la solitude joue un rôle modérateur dans la relation unissant l'attachement non sécurisant et les problèmes de nature cognitive, alors qu'elle joue un rôle médiateur dans la relation entre l'attachement sécurisant, la dépression et l'anxiété.