Reactions to self-discrepant feedback: Feminist attitude and symbolic self-completion

Reactions to self-discrepant feedback were theoretically and experimentally investigated. The conceptual frame was provided by the theory of symbolic self-completion. Starting from the assumption that attitudes can function as central aspects of self-definition, 81 female subjects were either presented with feedback that their attitudes were unfeminist (treatment, i.e. incompleteness condition) or they received no feedback (control condition) Then they were given the opportunity for self-symbolizing by subscribing to a feminist journal. Subjects with strongly pro-feminist attitudes who were made incomplete with respect to their feminist self-definition subscribed more often and more intensively to the feminist journal than others. The results illustrate that attitudes can take on the character of self-definitions. Furthermore, reactions to self-discrepant feedback concerning a central attitude were as predicted by the theory of symbolic self-completion.     

Establishing a Placement Index for behaviorally disturbed children using the Hand Test.

Hand Test variables were evaluated to see if they would empirically discern varying levels of behavioral and social maladjustment in severely behaviorally handicapped children. Hand Test protocols of 6- to 18-year-old students (N = 100) were gathered. Twenty protocols from each of three levels of special education placement were obtained in addition to 40 protocols of students enrolled in regular educational classrooms. A stepwise discriminant analysis yielded both pathology (PATH) and aggression (AGG) as significant discriminators (p less than .05). Cutoff scores and a weighted equation consisting of nine variables was derived using proper placement in group setting as the criteria. The assignment of children to correct placement levels was 64% or 79%, depending on the stringency of criteria. These findings reinforce the utility of the Hand Test as a valuable tool in the psychologist's testing armament for assisting with placement decisions and support the strength of integrating multiple variables to aid with these decisions. Replication of this study for the purpose of cross-validation of the Placement Index is strongly encouraged.     

The mutual influence of insulin and environmentally-conditioned central nervous system performance on the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism

Investigating the effects of insulin on carbohydrate metabolism and on the central nervous system (C.N.S.) under conditions of rest and of stress in dogs and in rats, using the conditional reflex method and measuring the nitrogen and phosphate brain metabolites and the blood sugar differences, the author found that cerebral glucose metabolism is dependent upon insulin, and that if glucose supplies are adequate, insulin stimulates C.N.S. performance within 15–20 minutes. The C.N.S. and blood sugar reactivity depend upon the environmental situation: the conditional stimuli for stress increase glycemia. Animals under stress went into shock even though their glycemic levels were relatively high, whereas those at rest did not go into shock or sometimes reacted with slight symptoms of somnolence even at a lower glycemic level. In experimental hyperglycemia the level rises even more during stress, with ensuing coma, especially with larger doses of insulin. An increase of inhibition with reduced learning precedes the glycemic irregularities. Thus, insulin directly influences the central nervous system.     

The dissemination of critical,unshared information in decision‐making groups: the effects of pre‐discussion dissent

Previous research in group decision making has found that in situations of a hidden profile (i.e. the best choice alternative is hidden from individual members as they consider their pre‐discussion information), unshared information is disproportionately neglected and sub‐optimal group choices are highly likely. In an experimental study, three‐person groups decided which of three candidates to select for a professorial appointment. We hypothesised that minority dissent in pre‐discussion preferences improves the consideration of unshared information in groups and increases the discovery rate of hidden profiles. As predicted, consideration of unshared information increased with minority dissent. The expectation of an improvement of group decision quality was partially supported. In diversity groups (i.e. each member prefers a different alternative) consideration of unshared information and group decision quality was significantly higher than in simple minority groups. Results are discussed in the light of theories of minority influence. The benefits of using the hidden profile paradigm with minority and diversity groups for theory development in the area of group decision making are highlighted. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Domain-specific learning of grammatical structure in musical and phonological sequences

Artificial grammar learning depends on acquisition of abstract structural representations rather than domain-specific representational constraints, or so many studies tell us. Using an artificial grammar task, we compared learning performance in two stimulus domains in which respondents have differing tacit prior knowledge. We found that despite grammatically identical sequence structures, learning was better for harmonically related chord sequences than for letter name sequences or harmonically unrelated chord sequences. We also found transfer effects within the musical and letter name tasks, but not across the domains. We conclude that knowledge acquired in implicit learning depends not only on abstract features of structured stimuli, but that the learning of regularities is in some respects domain-specific and strongly linked to particular features of the stimulus domain.