The attentional blink with targets in different spatial locations

When two targets (T1 and T2) are displayed in rapid succession, accuracy of T2 identification varies as a function of the temporal lag between the targets (attentional blink, AB). In some studies, performance has been found to be most impaired at Lag 1—namely, when T2 followed T1 directly. In other studies, T2 performance at Lag 1 has been virtually unimpaired (Lag 1 sparing). In the present work, we examined how Lag 1 sparing is affected by attentional switches between targets displayed in the same location or in different locations. We found that Lag 1 sparing does not occur when a spatial shift is required between T1 and T2. This suggests that attention cannot be switched to a new location while the system is busy processing another stimulus. The results are explained by a modified version of an attentional gating model (Chun & Potter, 1995; Shapiro & Raymond, 1994).     

Effects of display luminance, stimulus meaningfulness, and probe duration on visible and schematic persistence

Partial report performance is conceived of as consisting of two independent sources of information: visible persistence and schematic persistence. Following the work of Di Lollo and Dixon (1988), these two sources of information were separated experimentally by varying interstimulus interval and stimulus onset asynchrony independently. In the present experiment we asked whether visible persistence and schematic persistence would be affected by display luminance, stimulus meaningfulness, or probe duration. The results were fit accurately by an extension of the Di Lollo and Dixon independent-decay model in which display luminance affected visible persistence but stimulus meaningfulness and probe duration affected neither form of persistence directly.     

Displacement limit (dmax) of sampled directional motion: direct and indirect estimates

The maximum displacement at which directional motion can be seen, known as dmax, has been said to define the spatial limits of the short-range motion system. Turano and Pantle (1985) used duration of motion aftereffect (MAE) to estimate the spatial limit of the short-range system, the assumption that dmax (a direct measure of motion perception) and MAE (an indirect measure) are equivalent indices of the same underlying perceptual process. In a series of four experiments, we examined this assumption by measuring dmax and duration of MAE across a range of displacements, stimulus waveforms (sine- or square-wave gratings), and spatial frequencies. We found that dmax and duration of MAE were affected differently by changes in the same variables. Therefore, we concluded that the two indices cannot be regarded as equivalent measures of the spatial limits of the short-range process. Two novel effects that separated MAE from motion detection are described, and suggestions for exploring them are outlined.     

Effects of modality preferences on learning and recall of bisensory stimuli

The performance of visual attenders and aural attenders, as defined by performance on a bisensory digit-span task, was compared on three bisensory tasks. First, in replication of an earlier study, performance was compared on a bisensory missing-unit paradigm, in which S was required to respond with missing units from two independent sets of stimuli, each set being presented on a separate channel. The results corroborated those of an earlier study in which an interaction between modality preferences and presentation modality was found. Further, differential recall patterns were found for each of the groups. While such comparable results were not found on the other two tasks, differential performance on a bisensory paired-associate task and a bisensory connected discourse task were found. The results are interpreted in accord with Murdock’s (1967) hypotheses concerning separate sensory storage mechanisms.     

The effect of gender-schematic processing on decisions about sex-inappropriate sport behavior

This research investigates the effect of gender-schematic processing on decisions to reject sex-inappropriate sports. Sex-typed subjects expressly state concerns about the gender appropriateness of the sport more often than androgynous and undifferentiated subjects. Moreover, they rate gender-based factors as more important to their decisions than the latter two groups. Second, we assess whether gender-schematic processing of the self extends to gender-schematic processing of others. When told only that a fictitious person enjoys doing either a masculine or feminine sport, sex-typed subjects are more likely to draw sex-consistent conclusions about that person than are androgynous and undifferentiated subjects. A discussion of cross-sex-typed subjects' responses is included and it is suggested that considering males' responses separately from females' may be more informative for certain experimental tasks.This article is based upon a doctoral dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 1984. The author wishes to thank Sandra L. Bem, Daryl Bem, and Thomas Gilovich for guidance throughout this work. Gordon H. Bower, Leonard M. Horowitz, Margaret Intons-Peterson, and an anonymous reviewer deserve thanks for their extended comments and discussions of this work. Thanks are also due to Ann Wycoff and Paula Christianson who served as experimenters, to James P. Cunningham for statistical assistance, and James P. Fallon for computer programming assistance. This research was supported by the Department of Psychology, Cornell University.     

The effect of conscious controlled verbalization cognitive strategy on transfer in problem solving

The effect of controlled verbalization on learning to solve complex problems was investigated. Fifty participants individually solved the six-disk Tower of Hanoi problem as a criterion task, following one of the five treatments represented in a 2 × 2 factorial design with an appended control group. One factor was the presence or absence of a practice series which required participants to provide verbal rationales for their moves. The other was the presence or absence of verbalization on the six-disk criterion task. The control participants performed the practice tasks and the criterion task without verbalization. Although practice tended to be more effective than no practice for improving performance, its strongest effect occurred when it was coupled with controlled verbalization. Controlled verbalization during the criterion task facilitated performance, but only for subjects who received no prior practice. It was concluded that verbalization was most helpful during the initial flexible stages of learning to solve problems before the skill had become organized. The discussion indicated that performance is facilitated by the quality and timing of the use of verbalizations rather than by the mere activity of verbalizing.     

Sex-role stereotypes and requisite management characteristics: A current replication

A mailed survey was conducted to determine differential stereotypes concerning Men, Women, and Successful Managers. A moderately high degree of similarity was found between stereotypes of Men and Managers, but none between Men and Women nor Women and Managers for male respondents. Female respondents perceived a moderately high similarity between Men and Managers and a slight degree of similarity between Women and both Men and Managers.     

A rehabilitative program for central executive deficits after traumatic brain injury

Deficits affecting Central Executive System (CES) of working memory (WM) are the main neuropsychological outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can also explain deficits in other domains, like divided attention, executive functions and long-term memory. For this reason we developed a rehabilitative program based on CES functions and we expected to find an improvement in WM as well as in those cognitive functions controlled by the CES.The experimental group was composed by 9 TBIs, selected for WM deficits, whereas the control group was composed by 6 TBIs, without WM deficits, but with speed processing deficits. All patients performed a cognitive training, based on PASAT (Gronwall & Wrightson, 1981)and two new versions of this task.The results showed in the experimental group an improvement in WM and in the cognitive functions controlled by the CES, whereas control patients did not show any improvement after the cognitive training.     

Association between burnout and anger in oncology versus ophthalmology health care professionals

The prevalence of burnout in oncology staff was compared with that of the ophthalmology staff, who normally present a low prevalence of burnout as described in this literature. The correlation of burnout with the emotion of anger was also investigated. Thirty-six subjects working in an oncology department and 32 working in an ophthalmology department were examined using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. The oncology group showed higher mean scores on the MBI Emotive Exhaustion and Depersonalization scales with respect to ophthalmology staff. Correlation analysis showed that increasing burnout was associated with higher anger expressed towards the environment and loss of anger control. Anger, as a response to frustration, appears to be a feature constantly associated with the clinical expression of burnout and it should not be underestimated in theoretical and preventive contexts.