An electroluminescent lamp device for critical flicker fusion and apparent motion

A circuit that uses electroluminescent lamps as light sources for the study of critical flicker fusion (CFF) and apparent motion phenomena is described. The technique involves the modulation of a 2- KH z exciting current with a multivibrator-formed pulse adjustable over a suitable range of frequencies. Components are readily available from commercial sources.     

Developing the Individual: Life Skills and Family Therapy

Two bodies of literature on life skills and on family therapy have developed from different sources but have interesting similarities. Life skills comes from training and educational thinking, and concentrates upon the skills of and strategies for coping. Family therapy focuses upon the disturbance of an individual as symbolic of the dynamics of the family, but has at its roots a more-or-less explicit model of what constitutes an effective family, where the interactions can be readily understood in life-skill terms. The two approaches are compared and contrasted.     

The role of returns to a prior topic in the negotiation of topic change: A developmental investigation

Returns to a prior topic occurring in the conversations of small groups of acquainted peers were examined to learn more about how topic is organized in such settings and how it changes with age. Twenty-five discussion groups were formed, five at each of the following grades: second, fifth, ninth, twelfth, and college. The eighth meeting of each group was examined, comprising 13,811 speaking turns total, which includes 502 returns other than those occurring after side sequences. There are three main findings. First, at all ages, returns were frequently used to counter attempts at topic change. This finding warranted the creation of a model for the negotiation of topic change that includes returns. Second, there were no age differences in the means used for negotiating topic change, but there were substantial age differences in the way these means were actually employed. These differences suggest that adolescents and young adults adopt a consensual orientation to topic negotiation. Third, other results suggest that that consensual orientation to topic negotiation is a generalization of the consensus orientation to topic maintenance that is acquired during childhood.     

Personal Development through Profiling: A Critique

Although a great deal of research and evaluation is currently being conducted into profiles and records of achievement, relatively little is still known about how pupils themselves respond to such recording. Material drawn from reviewing sessions is used to highlight some of the potentially important issues in this respect and how the outcomes are likely to differ from the counselling situation. Among these issues are teacher domination, differences between high- and low-achieving pupils, and gender variations in response. Stress is placed on the need for further systematic study of this aspect of profiling if we are to avoid instituting a procedure that, far from being a source of motivation, is perceived by pupils as just one more imposition on them.     

Age-related changes in contrast sensitivity in central and peripheral retina

Eight young (average age 20.4 years) and eight elderly (average age 64.4 years) observers took part in three experiments designed to study age-related changes in peripheral retinal function. A further eight young (average age 22.3 years) and eight elderly (average age 63.8 years) observers took part in a replication of experiment 3. All observers had normal or better-than-normal visual acuity and no evidence of ocular pathology. All testing was monocular and the eye with better visual acuity was used. In the first experiment contrast sensitivity was measured in central retina and 10 deg temporally, at spatial frequencies of 0.2, 0.8, 2.0, and 5.0 cycles deg-1. Young observers had better contrast sensitivities than older observers, but only at higher spatial frequencies (2.0 and 5.0 cycles deg-1). For both groups, contrast sensitivity was poorer with peripheral presentation of stimuli than with central presentation, but not for the lowest spatial frequency used (0.2 cycle deg-1). In the second experiment observers had to detect the presence of a sharp edge (square-wave luminance profile), while in the third and fourth experiments the target was a "fuzzy' edge (sine-wave profile). Edges were again presented centrally or 10 deg temporally. As expected from the data of experiment 1, young observers were better able to detect the sharp edge than were the older observers in both central and peripheral viewing conditions. For both age groups, edge detection was better during central viewing than during peripheral viewing. However, contrary to expectations based on the results of experiment 1, detection of the fuzzy edge was better for central than for peripheral viewing for both age groups in experiments 3 and 4. The apparent (and expected) equality of performance found in experiment 3 for young and elderly observers in detecting the fuzzy edge was shown to be due to the range of contrast values used. When appropriate contrast values were used in experiment 4, young observers detected fuzzy edges presented in central retina better than did elderly observers. The results of experiment 1 show sparing of the ability to process low spatial frequencies across (i) age and (ii) retinal location, and are discussed in terms of the notion of (i) models of age-related loss of visual function and (ii) cortical magnification. The results of experiments 2, 3, and 4 provide some support for the proposition that the contrast sensitivity of observers may be used to predict their performance on other visual tasks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Good moments in Rational-Emotive Therapy: Some unique features of this approach

Two independent teams of judges used a general category system of good moments and an RET category system of good moments, respectively, in assessing all client statements in two audiotaped sessions conducted by Dr. Albert Ellis. A comparison of the findings from using the two category systems identified four unique features of RET. The features involved (a) unique RET good moments given by the RET literature; (b) additional general categories of good moments that are also obtained by RET; (c) unique RET methods of obtaining insight-understanding; and (d) unique RET methods of promoting behavior change.Wayne P. Nadler, Irit Sterner, and Eran A. Talitman are members of the psychotherapy research team, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa. Patricia A. Gervaize, Ph.D., is clinical research psychologist, Ottawa Civic Hospital and School of Medicine, University of Ottawa, as well as a member of the psychotherapy research team, University of Ottawa.     

Focused videotape feedback psychotherapy: An integrated treatment for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children

This controlled study describes the development and therapeutic effectiveness of Focused Videotape Feedback Psychotherapy. FVFP integrates parent-training, family therapy, and psychodynamically-oriented therapy as a treatment for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Of the 105 children and their families, ages 4-10 years, referred for the study, only 40 met the strict diagnostic, research, and randomisation criteria for inclusion in one of the three research groups: FVFP, Psychodynamically-oriented, or Control. Evaluation was at pretreatment, 8 weeks, 16 weeks, and 20th week follow-up. Both treatment procedures were effective. FVFP produced more positive behavioral and affective changes at follow-up and was more time and cost effective.     

Drug testing in the public and private-sector workplaces: Technical and legal issues

This paper examines the technical and legal issues surrounding the implementation of drug testing programs in the public and private-sector workplaces. In Part I of the paper, technical issues important to an understanding of urinalysis drug testing methods are examined. In Part II, recent federal case law is reviewed in order to identify the different legal parameters associated with drug testing in the public and private sectors. Part III presents guidelines for employers who already have or are about to implement a drug testing program within their organizations.     

Are prepared fears less severe, but more resistant to treatment?

In order to investigate the relationship between the extent to which clinical fears are prepared and clinically relevant characteristics of these fears (i.e. severity, age of onset and treatment outcome). the records of 63 obsessional and phobic patients were examined. Four independent raters scored the usable records (N = 55) on preparedness. The preparedness scores were combined and related to objective indices of severity (patients' scores on the Fear Survey Schedule, the Zung Depression Scale and the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory, as well as the treatment duration), onset ages and treatment outcomes (pre-treatment minus post-treatment MOCI scores, for a subsample of obsessional patients only). In contrast to earlier studies, it was found that product-moment correlations among preparedness ratings were relatively low and that prepared fears did not make up a majority in the sample. Indices of severity either did not correlate at all or correlated negatively with preparedness ratings. The positive correlation between preparedness and onset ages reached borderline significance. Evidence suggestive of a resistance to treatment of prepared fears was obtained.