Some new results on factor indeterminacy

Some relations between maximum likelihood factor analysis and factor indeterminacy are discussed. Bounds are derived for the minimum average correlation between equivalent sets of correlated factors which depend on the latent roots of the factor intercorrelation matrix . Empirical examples are presented to illustrate some of the theory and indicate the extent to which it can be expected to be relevant in practice.     

Cross-task validation of functional measurement

Ss judged average heaviness of two unseen lifted weights on a 20-step rating scale. They also rated heaviness of a single visible object of variable size and weight. The data for each task obeyed the parallelism prediction of the linear integration model. This within-task consistency validates jointly the model and the response scale. Functional measurement procedure yielded independent scales of subjective heaviness from each task. These were linearly related, a criterion of external consistency. The plot of subjective heaviness against objective weight was slightly negatively accelerated. These results disagree with those that have been obtained with magnitude estimation. Since the rating data satisfy both internal and external consistency, they constitute the true measure of sensation. Magnitude estimation, in contrast, must be biased and invalid.     

Effect of “backward” masker fringe on the detectability of pulsed diotic and dichotic tonal signals

The effects of backward masker “fringe” on performance in homophasic and antiphasic masking conditions were investigated. The results of the study indicate that (1) the presence of a backward masker fringe has only a small effect on performance in homophasic masking conditions; (2) under antiphasic masking conditions, the presence of a backward masker fringe improves performance; (3) similar to the results of studies investigating the effects of forward masker fringe, the magnitude of the improvement in performance increases as the duration of the fringe increases; and (4) the magnitude of the improvement caused by the presence of backward masker fringe is considerably smaller than the magnitude of the improvement caused by the forward masker fringe. It appears, then, that the presence of backward masker fringe may provide a baseline or reference phase similar to that which the forward fringe is presumed to provide. The presence of this reference phase after the offset of the signal apparently makes the phase shift associated with the signal-plus-noise waveform more discernible, thus leading to higher detectability. However, for reasons not yet clear, the presence of a baseline or reference phase after the offset of the signal (backward fringe conditions) does not make the signal-plus-noise phase shift as discernible as do either the presence of that same reference phase before the onset of the signal (forward fringe condition) or the presence of that same reference phase both before signal onset and after signal offset (continuous masker condition).     

Schedule control of the vocal behavior of Cebus monkeys

The vocal behavior of three Cebus monkeys was maintained by fixed-ratio schedules of response dependent reinforcement at values between fixed-ratio 1 and fixed-ratio 15. In one monkey that was exposed to variable-interval, fixed-interval, and conjunctive fixed-ratio fixed-interval schedules of reinforcement, vocal responding occurred at a low rate, but schedule-appropriate patterns were maintained. The rates and patterns of responding engendered indicated that the vocal operant can be brought under schedule control in the monkey by the use of response-dependent reinforcement.     

Negation of Park's transformations

Zusammenfassung Parks Kritik beruht, meiner Ansicht nach, auf einem entscheidenden Mißverständnis meiner Intentionen: es geht mir überhaupt nicht um eine Argumentation gegen eine Transformationsgrammatik à la Chomsky, und nicht einmal in erster Linie gegen die Absicht mancher Psycholinguisten, eine derartige Theorie in ihren psychischen Funktionen aufzuzeigen. Ich möchte lediglich dafür plädieren, daß die Psycholinguistik in erster Linie psychologische (und nicht linguistische) Überlegungen und Modellvorstellungen als Leitlinien verwendet.