Cultural differences on WISC-R verbal items

The item difficulty patterns of four groups of nonreferred, average children— Anglos, Blacks, Chicanos and Bermudians—were compared on each of the verbal subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. The analysis was done for $\text{7}\text{1}\text{2}$ years old and $\text{10}\text{1}\text{2}$ year olds separately. Although this procedure identified a small number of items differentially difficult for one group of children or another, the item difficulty curves for the four groups were remarkably parallel, considering the differences in the children's cultures.     

Enhancing the social skills of an unpopular girl: A social learning intervention

The use of a social learning approach to reduce the unpopularity of an 11-year-old girl, Rene, at a summer camp was studied. Two social skill deficiencies were suggested to be the cause of Rene's unpopularity by her bunk house counselors: her lack of contact with bunkhouse members during free choice times, and her negative, interfering conversational style. A multiple baseline design was used by the counselors to successively implement reinforcement contingencies on each class of social skill. Substantial improvements in performance were noted concurrent with the application of each contingency. These outcomes were maintained after reinforcement contingencies were withdrawn. Sociometric ratings of Rene's popularity by her bunkhouse mates improved after intervention. These outcomes are discussed from a social learning perspective.     

Further evidence for Coren and Hakstian’s “Methodological implications of interaural correlation: Count heads not ears” and an alternative correction formula

Coren and Hakstian (1990) identified a serious methodological problem that arises in auditory research because of interaural correlation. When measures from both ears of the subjects are pooled together in an experimental design that assumes independence of measures, there can be spuriously high apparent statistical significance. The present paper provides further evidence in support of Coren and Hakstian’s argument and also derives a formula that effectively corrects inflated test statistics resulting from interaural correlation. This formula is a special case of a more general one that applies in many other experimental contexts in which nonindependence of measures is a problem. We found that statistical tests based on our formula have somewhat greater power to detect differences than the kind of correction method advocated by Coren and Hakstian.     

Sex factors in children's observational learning of value judgments of toys

Sex Roles - Preschool children observed the play of a male or female model with a nonpreferred toy. The model's play incorporated a masculine or feminine storylike sequence of actions or was...     

Book reviews

DIAMOND, S. J. The Social Behaviour of Animals. London: Baqtsford. 1970. Pp. 256. £2.50.

JARRARD, L. E. (Ed.). Cognitive Processes in Non-human Primates. New York: Academic Press. 1971. Pp. 188.

BROZEK, J. and SLOBIN, D. I. (Eds). Psychology in the USSER: An Historical Perspective. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press. 1972. Pp. x + 30.1. $ 15.00.

A. R. JENSEN. Genetics and Education. London: Methuen. 1972. Pp. Vii + 379. £ 3.50.

OATLEY, K. Brain Mechanisms and Mind. London: Thames and Husdson. 1972. Pp. 216. £2.25.

BOAKES, R. A. and HALLIDAY, M. S., (Eds). Inhibition and Learning. London: Academic Press 1972. Pp. 568. £7.25.

TOBACH, E., ARONSON, L. R. and SHAW, E. (Eds). The Biopsychology of Development. New York: Academic Press. 1971. Pp.xix + 593. dollar 22.50.

MOLTZ, H. (Ed.). The Ontogeny of Vertebrate Behavior. New York and London: Academic Press. 1971. Pp. 500. $ 22.50.

SOKOLOV, A. N. Inner Speech and Thought. London: Plenum Publishment Co. 1972. Pp. 283. £ 10.50

SHOUKSMITH, G. Intelligence, Creativity and Cognivity and Cognitive Style. LOndon: Batsford. 1970.Pp. 240. £ 2.30,

BOLTON, N. The psychology of Thinking. Lond Methuuen. 1972. Pp. 291. £3.20.

JOHNSON, D. M. Systematic Introduction to The Psychology of Thinking. New York: Harper and Row, 1972. Pp. 498. £ 5.10.

LLOYD, B. Preception and Cognition. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 1972. Pp. 190. £ 0.80.     

Concept attainment, transfer, and retention through observation and rule-provision

The effects of observing a model and of providing a response rule on the learning, transfer, and retention of a dial-reading, numerical concept were studied in 144 third graders. Different Es conducted the immediate learning procedures versus the measurements of retention. No extrinsic reinforcers were promised or dispensed. The children profited both from modeling and from rule-provision, with the strongest learning, transfer, and retention displayed by the group that watched the model and also received the rule summary. Sequence of presenting the sets of retention stimuli (including a series of novel generalization items not previously encountered) did not influence the strength of concept retention 6 weeks after training.     

Effects of availability of feature changes on behavior segmentation

Thirty-five subjects segmented one of two videotapes of an actor methodically assembling 20 five-page questionnaires. In one sequence, the completion of each questionnaire resulted in a highly visible change in the stimulus fields: The top page of the stack changed from black to white or from white to black with the completion of each questionnaire. In a second sequence the action was identical, but the changing feature was concealed from view. Results disclosed that subjects viewing the tape with the visible change segmented the action on the basis of that change. Subjects viewing the same action without the visible change segmented the behavior into its fine-unit components, despite the fact that the higher-level organization in the behavior was readily understood.     

Water and NaCl intake after furosemide treatment in sheep (Ovis aires)

Intravenous infusion of the natriuretic drug furosemide in sheep led to the excretion of large quantitites of hypotonic urine. The sheep consumed more water than was needed simply to restore osmotic equilibrium. The stimulus for the additional intake was presumably hypovolemia resulting from the loss of sodium in urine. Despite the natriuresis, in only 2 of 15 experiments did sheep drink significant amounts of .5 M NaCl solution during the first 10 hr after the onset of furosemide treatment, and hemoconcentration and arterial hypotension were evident during this time. By 24 hr, however, the saline consumption in all but three experiments had increased and compensated adequately (together with the water intakes) for the furosemide-induced loss of sodium-rich fluid in urine. These results provide evidence that following acute hypovolemia in sheep, as in rats, the onset of sodium appetite is delayed relative to the appearance of thirst.     

Propositional quantification and the prosentential theory of truth

Philosophical Studies -     

Effects of computer conferencing on the language use of emotionally disturbed adolescents

This study compared the computer-mediated communications among 18 severely disturbed adolescents with their small-group, face-to-face discussions. A content analysis was performed to explore psychological, interpersonal, and expressive differences between the two communication modes. The findings indicated that computer involvement tended to improve communication in these areas.