An experimental analysis of electricity conservation procedures

Daily electricity consumption of four families was recorded for 106 days. A reversal design, consisting of various experimental conditions interspersed between repeated baseline conditions, was used. During experimental conditions, daily prompts (written conservation slogans attached to front doors) and/or daily feedback (daily kilowatts consumed and daily cost information) were in effect. Maximum consumption occurred during the initial baseline; minimum consumption occurred during different experimental conditions for different families. The mean decrease from the maximum to the minimum for all families was 35%. Reversals in consumption were demonstrated in three families, although successive baselines tended to decrease. No clear differences in effectiveness between prompting and feedback conditions were apparent. The procedures used resulted in considerable dollar savings for the families.     

Factors to be considered in placing handicapped children in regular classes

In light of recent legislation, school psychologists, administrators, and teachers are required to decide if handicapped pupils' educational needs can be met in regular classrooms. This paper examines information that may be used to derive this placement decision and proposes decision-making guidelines to be considered.     

Textural effects in perceived pointing of ambiguous triangles

Five experiments examined the influence of textural stripes on perceived pointing of ambiguous (equilateral) triangles. Reaction times for discriminating specific directions of pointing were measured for plain triangles and for triangles containing stripes that were either coincident with or perpendicular to one of the three possible directions of pointing. Perceptual interference occurred when the stripes biased a direction other than one specified by the discrimination task. The magnitude of the interference decreased (a) as the environmental salience of the specified direction increased and (b) as the spatial frequency of the stripes increased. Further results indicated that this frequency effect is relative to the size of the triangle; it is not determined by absolute (retinal) frequency. Stripes in the ground region surrounding the triangle also produced interference. However, this interference decreased as the region around the triangle was cleared of stripes. The results are discussed in terms of factors that determine the qualitative and quantitative nature of the interference effect, particularly symmetry and spatial frequency.     

Letting the baby out with the bathwater: Reflections on counselling,counselling psychology and psychotherapy in Britain

This paper responds to key points raised in Launagani's article (this issue). In particular, it focuses on the effectiveness of therapy and questions whether or not therapy is dangerous. Also it considers the future of counselling, counseling psychology and psychotherapy and predicts that therapies that do not adapt to brief or time-limited settings may become relegated to private practice. Treatment manuals based on techniques and strategies and not particular therapies will be developed which may include recommendations for the type of interpersonal approach required for different clients. It concludes that due to pressure of work, members of the therapeutic professions will have less time to sit on committess in support of their professional bodies.     

The Relationship Between Health and Human Services and the Personal Goal-Directed Activities of Persons Living with AIDS

This study evaluates the relationship between the social climate from different services and the personal goal-directed activities of 224 individuals with AIDS. The study's results supported the main hypothesis that recipient and participatory service involvement uniquely influence personal goal-directed activities, even after considering individuals with AIDS' physical symptoms, psychological distress, income, and recruitment site. Income and involvement with participatory services were both positively related to the amount of personal goal-directed activity. Longitudinal analyses suggest that personal initiative contributes to the subsequent amount of personal goal-directed activities a person pursues. These results suggest further examination of factors contributing to the selection of different service types and of the processes underlying the relationship between participatory services and positive outcomes for clients with AIDS.     

Female workers' acceptance in traditionally male-dominated blue-collar jobs

This study examined possible differential treatment by and negative attitudes of civilian male co-workers and male supervisors toward civilian female workers in traditionally male-dominated blue-collar jobs. Surveys were completed by 53 male supervisors and 327 male co-workers of four departments of a large government agency. Male supervisors indicated they would not treat female employees differently than they have treated male employees. Male co-workers, however, reported they have treated other male co-workers more favorably than they would treat female co-workers. In addition, supervisors, compared with male co-workers, reported more favorable attitudes toward female workers.     

Cartesian analysis: A computer-video interface for measuring motion without physical contact

In this paper, we describe a computer-video interface capable of measuring videotaped motion without physical contact. It constructs imaginaryx-, y-, z-coordinates around a moving object by juxtaposing front and side views on one video record. A special effects generator (SEG) superimposes this two-part image onto the microcomputer’s graphic output. The user watches the SEG’s output and traces the motion of interest in real-time with a computer-generated cursor, a process that assesses the onset time, termination time, duration, linear displacement (i.e., length), and velocity of each traced movement. Reliability coefficients between two independent users were .99 for onset time, .85 for duration, .89 for displacement, and .90 for velocity. In 80 gestures, the correlation between estimated displacement and measured displacement was .73; the correlation between estimated duration (determined from frame-by-frame inspection of the videotape) and measured duration was .80. Twenty-five measurements of displacement for a motorized target traveling 75.4 in. differed from the true value by | .06 |, | .06 |, and | .30 | in. for thex, y, andz dimensions, respectively.