The perception of shape and curvedness from binocular stereopsis and structure from motion

The integration of binocular stereopsis and kinetic depth was measured for two distinct aspects of 3-Dstructure: (1)shape index, which is a measure of scale-independent structure, and (2)curvedness, which is a measure of scale-dependent structure. We found that motion contributes significantly more to judged shape index than it does to judged curvedness, and stereo contributes significantly more to judged curvedness than it does to judged shape index. This suggests that the differences in the relative contribution of motion and stereo reported here occurred because these two sources do not equally specify the scale-dependent and scale-independent aspects of surface structure. Furthermore, these results seem to be inconsistent with integration models in which the different visual cues all initially contribute to the same single representation of 3-Dstructure.     

The advantage of first mention in Spanish

An advantage of first mention—that is, faster access to participants mentioned first in a sentence—has previously been demonstrated only in English. We report three experiments demonstrating that the advantage of first mention occurs also in Spanish sentences, regardless of whether the first-mentioned participants are syntactic subjects, and regardless, too, of whether they are proper names or inanimate objects. Because greater word-order flexibility is allowed in Spanish than in English (e.g., nonpassive object-verb-subject constructions exist in Spanish), these findings provide additional evidence that the advantage of first mention is a general cognitive phenomenon.     

Differences in EEG alpha activity related to giftedness

In three experiments, differences in EEG alpha activity between gifted (mean IQ = 137) and average (mean IQ = 105) individuals were investigated. EEG activity was monitored over 16 scalp locations. A fast Fourier transform was performed on 15 artifact-free 2-second chunks of data to derive a spectral power average in the alpha band (7.5–13 Hz). In the first experiment, EEG of gifted and average individuals during two relaxation phases—eyes closed and eyes open—was recorded. Gifted individuals showed higher EEG alpha power only while resting with eyes open. In the second experiment, gifted and average individuals solved two problems that were divided into phases of problem solving and preparing for problem solving (reading, making a plan of how to solve the problem). Significant differences were obtained only for the problem-solving stages. Gifted individuals in comparison with average ones showed higher alpha power (less mental effort) while solving the two problems. The third experiment investigated whether the lower mental activity displayed by gifted individuals was related to their ability to form more abstract schemata. For that purpose EEG was recorded while gifted and average individuals memorized lists of words and pictures that either allowed, or did not allow, for classification into more abstract categories. For both types of lists, gifted individuals displayed higher alpha power than average ones. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis that the higher EEG alpha power during information processing displayed by gifted individuals may derive from the nonuse of many brain areas not required for the problem at hand.     

The visual perception of rigid motion from constant flow fields

Four experiments investigated observers’ judgments of rigidity for different types of optical motion. The depicted structural deformations were of two types: (1) those with nonparallel image trajectories that are detectable from the first-order spatiotemporal relations between pairs of views; and (2) those with parallel image trajectories that can only be detected from higher order relations among three or more views. Patterns were composed of smooth flow fields in Experiments 1 and 3, and of wire frame figures in Experiments 2 and 4. For both types of display, the nonrigidity detectable from the first-order spatiotemporal structure of the motion sequence was much more salient than the deformation detectable only from the higher order spatiotemporal structure. These results indicate that observers’ judgments of rigidity are based primarily on a two-view analysis, but that some useful information can be obtained under appropriate circumstances from higher order spatiotemporal relations among three or more views.     

Factor analysis of the social performance survey schedule

There are several studies suggesting that the Social Performance Survey Schedule (SPSS) is a reliable and valid measure of social skill. However, the factorial structure of the SPSS has never been examined. In the present study, SPSSs taken by 652 college students were factor analyzed by the method of principal components and the resulting factors were rotated according to the varimax criterion. Separate factor analyses were conducted for men and women. Seven factors, which accounted for a little over a third of the total variance, were retained for each sex. A large general factor labeled Prosocial Competence emerged for both sexes. Beyond this, the factorial solutions for the two sexes tended to diverge, with males showing a large negative factor (Social Offensiveness) and three smaller negative factors and females showing five relatively small negative factors. Suggestions were made concerning additional factor analytic studies of the SPSS and the ways in which derived factors might be used in research and clinical work.This research was supported by funds from the Rutgers University Research Council. Thanks are due to Leona Aiken for her statistical consultation.     

Must the Rational Emotive Therapist Be Like Albert Ellis?

The author believes that some counselors may avoid the use of Rational Emotive Therapy techniques because they feel that they could not deal with clients in the same active-directive manner as of Albert Ellis, the originator of RET. Counselors who may be interested in applying RET principles with clients are urged to adapt the techniques of RET to their own personalities and styles of counseling.     

Experimental assessment of tinnitus aurium

A 32-year-old male volunteer with an eight year history of chronic unilateral tinnitus (ear-ringing) participated in a behavioral assessment strategy that included a series of measurement and modification procedures. A psychophysical matching technique was employed throughout a planned combination of procedures to assess and manipulate the intensity or loudness of tinnitus responses. Following baseline assessment, measurements were conducted at varying times of the day, concomitant with exposure to music, during progressive relaxation training, and under conditions of caffeine consumption. The value of careful assessment to describe cues and conditions associated with tinnitus and its reduction are discussed with implications for behavior treatment design and evaluation.     

On the role of reduced auditory feedback and kinesic self-stimulation during Stroop Color-Word performance1

Feedback from one's own voice provides important vocal–motor cues for effective cognitive processing. Reduction of such feedback is known to disturb such functioning. Work in our laboratory has shown that kinesic self-stimulation also plays an important role in cognition, and appears to regulate the focusing of attention under conditions of distraction. The present study investigated the effects of both auditory feedback and kinesic self-stimulation in the regulation of cognitive interference during performance of the Stroop Color-Word Task. Twelve subjects were tested on the Stroop task under conditions of normal and occluded hearing. Kinesic self-stimulation and response errors during color-word performance were recorded on video tape. The findings indicated that not only did self-stimulation increase when voice feedback was reduced, but that this increase was associated with a reduction in specific types of color-word performance errors. Individual differences revealed that high kinesic responders made significantly fewer errors in task performance than did low kinesic responders. Results were interpreted as revealing a kinesic feedback mechanism which has adaptive significance in regard to self-editing when auditory feedback is reduced.     

Attending to different levels of structure in a visual image

Two experiments are reported in which observers had to utilize information from one of two structural levels of visual stimulus patterns (large letters composed of smaller ones). They could utilize information more rapidly form one level only at the cost of slower utilization from the other. This trade off defines an empirical attention operating characteristic (AOC) which is consistent with a simple mathematical model of the perceptual process: when viewing a stimulus, the observer selects one of two alternative “attentional” strategies, where each strategy is optimal for utilizing information from one structural level, but less than optimal for the other.