The time it takes to imagine1

Stanley and Furedy (1966), using the paired-comparisons technique, reported that under conditions where size constancy held, Emmert’s law failed as distance increased beyond 90 in. Experiment 1, designed to check this report with a shorter-duration induction flash, did not yield 90 in. as the point of failure. However, although complete size constancy for direct images was again obtained, the results did not unambiguously suggest strict proportionality between afterimage size and distance. To allow a less ambiguous assessment of proportionality, Experiment 2 used magnitude-estimation procedures. Distance estimates were completely veridical, but afterimage size varied only linearly, and not proportionally, with apparent distance. It was concluded the Boring (1940) was mistaken in his attempt to reduce size constancy and Emmert’s law to the same principle.     

Sense modality switching and serial leaming

This investigation examined the effect of sense modality switching ofinformation at various positions of a serial learning task. Different numbers of flashes of light and different numbers of “blips” ofa pure tone were used as signalsin a four-position serial learning task. The design of the study involved a switch in sense modality at each one of the four possible positions in the series. Thus, it was possible to determine if the transmission of information through one sense modality makes it progressively more difficult or more time consuming to switch to another source of information transmitted through another modality. The results generally supported the contention that, as information is received through a particular modality, there is a build-up of the disruption involved in switching sense modality.     

A general rotation criterion and its use in orthogonal rotation

Measures of test parsimony and factor parsimony are defined. Minimizing their weighted sum produces a general rotation criterion for either oblique or orthogonal rotation. The quartimax, varimax and equamax criteria are special cases of the expression. Two new criteria are developed. One of these, the parsimax criterion, apparently gives excellent results. It is argued that one of the most important factors bearing on the choice of a rotation criterion for a particular problem is the amount of information available on the number of factors that should be rotated. This research was supported by the National Research Council of Canada research grant 291-13 to Dr. G. A. Ferguson.     

Orthogonal rotation algorithms

The quartimax and varimax algorithms for orthogonal rotation attempt to maximize particular simplicity criteria by a sequence of two-factor rotations. Derivations of these algorithms have been fairly complex. A simple general theory for obtaining two factor at a time algorithms for any polynomial simplicity criteria satisfying a natural symmetry condition is presented. It is shown that the degree of any symmetric criterion must be a multiple of four. A basic fourth degree algorithm, which is applicable to all symmetric fourth degree criteria, is derived and applied using a variety of criteria. When used with the quartimax and varimax criteria the algorithm is mathematically identical to the standard algorithms for these criteria. A basic eighth degree algorithm is also obtained and applied using a variety of eighth degree criteria. In general the problem of writing a basic algorithm for all symmetric criteria of any specified degree reduces to the problem of maximizing a trigonometric polynomial of degree one-fourth that of the criteria.This research was supported by the Bell Telephone Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey and NIH Grant FR-3.     

THE INFLUENCE OF LANGUAGE,EDUCATION AND CULTURE ON ATTENTIONAL PREFERENCE BETWEEN COLOUR AND FORM1

L'A. traite des différences selon les cultures dans I'attention préférentielle accordée à la forme ou à la couleur, dans le contexte des caractéristiques propres aux échantillons qui sont en corrélation avec cette préférence. II fait la revue des recherches antérieures qui ont décrit L'influence de L'âge chronologique, considéré comme refl?tant L'impact de L'éducation, de la surdité, du sexe et de la personnalité. Selon une hypothèse de relativité linguistique, L'influence de L'éducation et celle de la culture pourraient s'expliquer par la “codabilité” des couleurs et des formes : L'A. présente une recherche expérimentale qui montre qu'une telle hypothèse ne rend pas compte des différences interculturelles et propose une autre explication, à savoir L'influence de L'expérience perceptivc qui entraînerait la familiarisation avec les formes abstraites.     

Control of movement patterns in animals

As a more junior Fellow of the same college in Cambridge as Sir Frederic Bartlett, I am especially glad of this opportunity to join with members of the Experimental Psychology Society in honouring him. It would be superfluous for me to speak here of Sir Frederic's academic achievements: so many of our members are engaged in research on problems which sprung from his pioneering work, and his influence on the development of psychology as a science certainly needs no elaboration by me. But I would like to make one personal remark. I suppose all younger men feel that there are just a very few members of the preceding generation who have achieved a stature which will always be beyond the reach of any of their own contemporaries. Sir Frederic has always been one of those for me. I am speaking here not only of his academic achievements, but of his kindness as a man; and I would like to tell him how much I valued his willingness to share some of the benefits of his experience when I was blundering about on the borders of his subject.     

The effect of pressurized air in establishing discriminative response suppression in stump-tailed macaques

Pressurized air was repeatedly associated with one of two frequencies of flashing light during performance of a VI 30-sec positive reinforcement schedule by stump-tailed monkeys. As revealed by the relative suppression of bar presses to each of the two visual stimuli, the Ss learned to discriminate between the different flicker frequencies. However, they also showed signs of adapting to the airblast during the course of training, and its location had to be changed in order to maintain discriminative suppression.