The character in the hole experiment: Interaction of forward and backward masking of alphabetic character recognition by dynamic visual noise (OVN)

In the present study we consider the question of interaction between the forward and backward masking effects of dynamic visual noise (DVN) on the recognition of alphabetic characters composed of the same type of dots as those composing the DVN. The results of our experiments indicate that the two effects strongly interact so that both the duration and magnitude of the combined effect is far greater than would have been predicted by an algehraic model. Speculations about possible explanatory assumptions are presented.     

Visual capture of haptically judged depth

Using a graduated scale. S was required to match with his left hand the depth of three objects of equal physical depth (or thickness) held with the right hand. While making these haptic depth judgments the objects were viewed. Due to its optical properties. one object was of greater apparent visual depth than the other two, which served as controls. The critical object was judged to be of greater haptic depth than the control objects, thus demonstrating visual capture of haptic depth. This outcome is similar to that noted previously for haptically judged direction, size, and orientation with transformed visual input.     

Group Dynamics—Boon or Bane?

In our society an increasingly greater emphasis is being placed on group interaction and decision-making. Persons participating in such a process often use the term “group dynamics” to describe what is thought to be a social-psychological phenomenon. This article discusses some of the elements of “true” group characteristics and effects, and their possible existence in “group dynamic” situations. The article also deals with the implications of the effects of these elements in “group dynamic” environments on educational and administrative leadership and decision-making.     

Generalization gradients of inhibition following auditory discrimination learning

A more direct method than the usual ones for obtaining inhibitory gradients requires that the dimension of the nonreinforced stimulus selected for testing be orthogonal to the dimensions of the reinforced stimulus. In that case, the test points along the inhibitory gradient are equally distant from the reinforced stimulus. An attempt was made to realize this condition by obtaining inhibitory gradients along the frequency dimension of a pure tone after discrimination training in which the nonreinforced stimulus was a pure tone (or tones), and the reinforced stimulus was either white noise or the absence of a tone. The results showed that some degree of specific inhibitory control was exerted by the frequency of the tone, although the gradients were broad and shallow in slope.

A further experiment was conducted to see whether the modification of an excitatory gradient resulting from training to discriminate neighboring tones could arise from a simple interaction of inhibitory and excitatory gradients. The results indicated that it could not, since discrimination training produced a concentration of responding in the vicinity of the reinforced stimulus which cannot be derived from any plausible gradient of inhibition.

     

Simulation of human problem-solving behavior

In the simulation of human behavior on a digital computer, one first attempts to discover the manner in which subjects (Ss) internally represent the environment and the rules that they employ for acting upon this representation. The interaction between the rules and the environmental representation over a period of time constitutes a set of processes. Processes can be expressed as flow charts which, in turn, are stated formally in terms of a computer program. The program serves as a theory which is tested by executing the program on a computer and comparing the machine's performance with S's behavior.