Information transmission with a multifinger tactual display

In this work, the tactual information transmission capabilities of a tactual display designed to provide stimulation along a continuum from kinesthetic movements to cutaneous vibrations are assessed. The display is capable of delivering arbitrary waveforms to three digits (thumb, index, and middle finger) within an amplitude range from absolute detection threshold to about 50 dB sensation level and a frequency range from dc to above 300 Hz. Stimulus sets were designed at each of three signal durations (125, 250, and 500 msec) by combining salient attributes, such as frequency (further divided into low, middle, and high regions), amplitude, direction of motion, and finger location. Estimated static information transfer (IT) was 6.5 bits at 500 mseC., 6.4 bits at 250 mseC., and 5.6 bits at 125 msec. Estimates of IT rate were derived from identification experiments in which the subject’s task was to identify the middle stimulus in a sequence of three stimuli randomly selected from a given stimulus set. On the basis of the extrapolations from these IT measurements to continuous streams, the IT rate was estimated to be about 12 bits/seC., which is roughly the same as that achieved by Tadoma users in tactual speech communication.     

Effective psychotherapy of chronic schizophrenia

A method has been described to modify psychotherapy attitudinally and technically so that it is helpful with chronic psychotics--patients in a state hospital aftercare clinic. The method usually enables medications to be reduced and sometimes to be discontinued altogether. Two cases have been presented to demonstrate how the various new elements of the treatment method relate to each other, and to the rehabilitative services most chronic psychotics need.     

Vocational Satisfaction Among Ministerial Students

84 graduate students attending the Seventh-day Adventist Seminary for North America Q-sorted 50 self-relevant, socially neutral statements to measure self-concept and occupational role percept of the “ideal” Seventh-day Adventist minister. Correlations were computed for congruence between self-percepts and occupational role percepts, as an operational approximation to the construct “vocational satisfaction.” Mean correlations in extreme quartiles of the resultant distribution differed beyond .001; subjects in extreme quartiles were accordingly regarded as “more” or “less” vocationally satisfied. Significant differences were found between more- and less-satisfied subjects on 3 of 16 personality factors (adventuresomeness, shrewdness, ergic tension); on 1 of 6 values (social); on 1 of 10 vocational interests (social service); and on 2 of 15 elements of educational-social history (extent of previous church-conducted education, vocational preference during high school).     

Changes in Fear of AIDS and Homophobia in a University Population

A survey measuring attitudes toward fear of AIDS and homophobia, taken in the fall of 1985, was repeated in the fall of 1989 on the same university population. The results indicated that whereas fear of AIDS decreased, the degree of homophobia remained essentially unchanged. In addition, although respondents were much more knowledgeable about AIDS in 1989 than in 1985, there was no evidence of any change in the relatively high correlation between the fear of AIDS and homophobia.     

Some origins of contemporary sexual standards

Conclusion An accurate understanding of the sexual ideals of our day, together with precise knowledge of both their origins and their effects, may help us better to understand attitudes and behavior within this most important sector of human relationships, and thus aid us in helping people with conflicts and problems in this area.     

Reality-Testing a Vocational Choice: Congruence Between Self,Ideal, and Occupational Percepts Among Student Nurses

A total of 168 student nurses (24 each at 7 levels of vocational experience and preparation) Q-sorted 50 self-relevant, socially neutral statements to measure self-concept, ideal self-concept, and occupational role percept. Mean r's for congruence between ideal and occupational percepts tended to exceed and to reach higher levels of significance than corresponding r's for congruence between either self and ideal or self and occupational percepts. Congruences between self, ideal, and occupational percepts reach significance at p = .01 for graduate students, who have attained “adult” professional status. However, no significant relationship appears to obtain between either pre-professional or professional nursing experience and congruence between self and ideal, self and occupational role, or ideal and occupational role percepts. Results are interpreted in terms of a self-concept theory of vocational development.