Measurement and quantification of stereotypy in freely behaving subjects: An information analysis

Stereotypy is typically defined as abnormal, repetitive, and purposeless motor behavior. In this study, stereotypy was more rigorously and generally defined in terms ofH, the typical metric for entropy, and was measured using computer-driven analyses of filtered and digitized video records. This technique was validated using rats treated with d-amphetamine, which has been shown to be an effective stimulant of traditionally defined stereotypy in a wide variety of species. Rats were treated with 0, 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg body weight d-amphetamine sulfate, and their unrestrained behavior was recorded on videotape. Our results confirm previous research that found stereotypy to occur at high doses of amphetamine. However, the present measure of stereotypy brought out additional complexities. Our results indicate that stereotypy occurred at significant levels with low drug doses, and, furthermore, that stereotypy in general was highly dependent upon the level of behavioral complexity considered. Finally, we discuss the advantages of the present metric for studying stereotypy.     

The opponent process theory and affective reactions

Solomon (1980) proposed an opponent process theory to account for motivational and affective dynamics. This theory asserts that the brain avoids extremes of emotional experience by countering the stimulation it receives with an opposite or opponent reaction. Opponent processes are thought to be responsible for the characteristic changes in affective experience that occur over time, and to account for the dynamics of affective response to such stimuli as skydiving and sauna bathing, which have heretofore been difficult to explain. However, the relevance of this theory for affective experiences in general (beyond physical stimuli and addictions) has yet to be demonstrated. The present paper examines opponent process theory predictions in two settings, involving affective responses to situation-scenarios and emotion-provoking slides. In each study, significant habituation to both positive and negative affective stimuli was found, as the opponent process theory would predict. Subjects also showed a reversal of affect when the stimuli were reversed from positive to negative or vice versa. However, contrary to opponent process theory predictions, there was no evidence that withdrawal responses were greater after habituation to the affective stimulus. The only instance of a significant difference in withdrawal responses was actually in a direction opposite to that which the opponent process theory predicts. All other predicted differences were not significant. The opponent process theory, therefore, was not supported in these data and appears to need revision or qualification as to its domains of application.     

The influence of uncertainty and premovement visual information on manual aiming

Target-aiming studies in which premovement visual information is manipulated suggest that when vision is occluded, a brief visual representation of the target environment may be used to guide movement. The purpose of this work was to determine if the internal representation contains information about the whole movement environment or just specific information about the position of a single target goal. Two experiments were conducted in which we manipulated both target uncertainty and the visual information available before and during a target-aiming movement. Radial error differences between visual conditions and the independence of the vision and uncertainty manipulations support the hypothesis that subjects form a representation of the overall movement environment.     

Congruency of preferences for family-based gender roles and family satisfaction in two-generation farm families

The present study examines the congruency of family-based gender-role preferences among adult members within intergenerational farm families, and tests the effects of congruency on family satisfaction. From a sample of 71 families (284 adults), results showed that the adult children hold more modern gender-role preferences and that disparities in gender-role preferences impact the satisfaction of the younger generation. The results suggest that to fully understand gender-role preferences in intergenerational relations, gender-roles need to be examined within the context of the entire family.     

Training and credentialing in forensic psychology

The number of training programs in forensic psychology has grown considerably in the past 15 years. Numerous opportunities exist for individuals interested in pursuing careers in the forensic area. Interdisciplinary training in several forms is discussed: J.D. -Ph.D. Programs, specialist Ph.D. Programs, predoctoral internships, and postdoctoral fellowships. Continuing professional education, credentialing, and board certification in forensic psychology are also addressed. Despite the face validity of these various types of training and credentialing, little is known about their relative utilities.     

Psychometric evaluation of the dating anxiety survey: A self-report questionnaire for the assessment of dating anxiety in males and females

The Dating Anxiety Survey (DAS) was constructed to assess dating anxiety in males and females. Factor analysis of the survey revealed three factors: passive contact, active intentions for dating, and dating interactions. The reliabilities of the three subscales, as determined by coefficient alpha, were .87, .91, and .93 for males and .90, .90, and .92 for females, respectively. Correlations with dating history and a measure of social anxiety were generally of a low but significant magnitude, providing some support for concurrent validity. The results of the factor analysis lend support to the construct validity of the DAS. These findings suggest that the DAS is a potentially useful instrument in the self-report of dating anxiety.Portions of this paper were presented at the meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA, March 1983.     

Studies in intuitive personology from an idiothetic point of view: Implications for personality theory

Following Lamiell's (1981) critique of the individual differences approach to the scientific study of personality, questions have arisen concerning (a) the nature of the empirical research to which the “idiotheric” framework he proposed as an alternative has thus far led, and (b) the wider theoretical implications of that research. The present article seeks to address these questions within the medium of research on the nature of the reasoning process by which lay persons formulate and express subjective personality impressions. It is argued that the findings of this research offer strong empirical support for a conception of the intuitive personologist as a dialectician. Among other things, the discussion of these findings focuses on their implications for a humanistic conception of the relation between cognition and behavior, and thus of personality more broadly defined.     

The missing fundamental in vowel height perception

Traunmüller (1981) suggested that the tonotopic distance between the first formant (F ₁) and the fundamental frequency (F ₀) is a major determinant of perceived vowel height. In the present study, subjects identified a vowel-height continuum ranging in formant pattern from /?/ to /ε/, at fiveF ₀ values. IncreasingF ₀ led to an increased probability of /I/ responses (i.e., the phoneme boundary shifted toward the /ε/ end of the continuum). Various conditions of filtering out the lower harmonics of the stimuli caused only marginal shifts of the phoneme boundary. The experiments provide evidence against interpretations of Traunmüller’s (1981) results that claim that vowel height is determined by the distance betweenF ₁ and the lowest harmonic that is present in the basilar membrane excitation pattern.     

Stress,strain, and hardiness as predictors of adaptation in farm and ranch families

We examined the relationship between potential family vulnerability factors (stressor and strains), manifestations of maladaptation (family discord and distress), family strengths (hardiness), and measures of bonadaptation (quality of life) as reported by 188 men and women representing 100 Idaho farm and ranch families. Family strains, and stressors unique to farming and ranching, were positively associated with family discord and distress but negatively associated with hardiness and quality of life. Greater family hardiness as reported by both wives and husbands was positively correlated with their perceptions of family quality of life. The results have implications for mental health professionals and family life educators whose goal is to help farm and ranch families manage stress more effectively, increase hardiness, and enhance their overall quality of life.