Word association and availability of response in an aphasic subject

Confirmation of the claim that verbal responses are elicited more easily in aphasia when the range of possible responses is restricted was obtained by comparing stimulus words from a Word Association Test to which an aphasic subject gave three types of responses and those to which she made no response. Contrary to expectation, words of lower frequency in the language did not present more difficulty as stimuli and were given more often as responses than are such words in the norms. It is suggested that a generative model of semantics may be better able to account for such findings than an interpretive dictionary model.This work was assisted by a grant from the Stroke Research Fund.     

Sex differences in college student-teacher interactions: Fact or fantasy?

On-site observations analyzing student-teacher interaction for 50 college classes, matched by level, subject, and teacher's sex, revealed no difference in number and type of interactions in which male and female students participated. In female-taught classes, style differences were found: Male students' interactions were characterized by more student-teacher exchanges than females' interactions. From student questionnaires, differences in office visitation patterns were revealed, showing an apparent relationship to sex: Female students visited more female than male instructors. However, closer examination showed the student's major to be the key variable influencing visitation patterns. Results point to the need for testing a variety of variables in addition to sex before drawing conclusions about sex-related behavior.Ordering of authors was determined alphabetically. A CETA special project grant from the King-Snohomish Manpower Consortium (P. Dee Boersma, principal investigator) funded the research. The authors thank the Institute for Environmental Studies for providing space.     

The persistence of loneliness: Self and other determinants1

Four studies (total n= 469) examined correlates of loneliness in order to explore explanations for the persistence of loneliness among college students. Self-report and attitude scales, ratings of others following dyadic interactions, and self and other ratings at two points during an extended period of group interactions indicated that lonely students (a) rated themselves more negatively and reported deficits in social skills and self-concept, (b) rated specific others and people-in-general more negatively and were more alienated and externalized, (c) expected others to rate them negatively, but (d) in general were not differentially rated by others except in the initial phase of group interactions and by lonely others following dyadic interactions. Results suggested that loneliness may be perpetuated by its cognitive and affective concomitants, with some evidence for gender differences, whereas inconclusive evidence was found regarding responses of others to the lonely person.     

Mental effort and task interference in auditory attention

Dual-task performance was examined in three experiments. The primary task was to repeat or to add one to four digits presented auditorily at a rate of 1 digit/second. This primary task was combined with three different secondary tasks in which subjects listened to a list of words either for later recognition of some of the words (Experiment 1) or for detection and a later report of a target word (Experiments 2 and 3). Different patterns of task interference were obtained. Recognition performance was sensitive to between-task variations in capacity demands but did not reflect momentary attentional demands within the primary task. Detection performance reflected both between-task and within-task variation in capacity demands of the primary task. The interference between the primary and the secondary task was mutual, with more interference when the selection-cue in the detection task was a category name than when it was the target word itself. These findings are discussed in terms of effort theory of attention and the role of attentional strategies in dual-task performance.     

Analysis of behaviors involved in performance of the block design subtest of the WISC-R

This study analyzed two of the component behaviors which might contribute to developmental differences on the Block Design Subtest of the WISC-R. The performance of approximately 30 boys and girls in each of the first, third, fifth and eleventh grades was videotaped as they completed the Block Design Subtest. The behaviors coded from the videotape included the order of placement of blocks within each design, and the degree to which children persisted in placing a given block correctly before moving to the next one. Results showed no developmental differences in either of these dependent variables. There were striking similarities in the solution strategies applied by older and younger children to most of the block designs.     

Correlates of female athletic participation: Masculinity,femininity, self-esteem,and attitudes toward women

Self-esteem, psychological masculinity and femininity, and attitudes toward women in female athletes were investigated in an attempt to examine the validity of various stereotypes. Subgroup distinctions based on sport played, level of commitment to athletics, and experience level were also examined. Seventy-one women participating in intercollegiate varsity teams (crew, basketball, squash, and swimming) at a major university in the Northeast were compared with an unselected group of 185 women from the same university. In contrast to previous findings, female athletes were found to be significantly less feminine than their college peers, but not more masculine. In sport-by-sport comparisons, differences were not found. Highly committed athletes were found to be more masculine and more feminine, as well as more profeminist, than low commitment athletes; and experienced athletes also appeared to be the more highly committed ones. Self-esteem and commitment were found to be unrelated, suggesting that the individual can make a strong commitment to athletics without it having an evaluative component. Speculations were made about the athlete of the future and the influence of athletics on self-esteem.     

Short-Term Retention of “Surprising” Events By Pigeons

Terry and Wagner (1975) have suggested that the short-term retention of information about an event is enhanced if the occurrence of the event is made unexpected or surprising. Three experiments tested this idea using delayed conditional position (Experiment I) and colour discriminations (Experiments II and III). The subjects were pigeons and the presentation of food was the target event to be remembered. Choice of one of two simultaneously presented stimuli was reinforced if the retention interval had been initiated by presentation of target food. Contrary to Terry and Wagner's claim, retention was superior on probe test trials in Experiments I and II if the presentation of the target food was preceded by a previously established signal for food (CS+) rather than by a stimulus which had not been paired with food (CS-). Experiment III systematically manipulated the signalling conditions used during initial discrimination training. Retention was better following a CS+ presentation if the target food had been signalled during initial discrimination training but worse if the food presentation had been unsignalled. These results do not favour the idea that retention of an event is directly affected by whether or not the target event is surprising.     

Disclosure and Self-Advocacy Regarding Disability-Related Needs: Strategies to Maximize Integration in Postsecondary Education

This article reviews issues related to disclosure of disability and disability related needs by students in postsecondary education. The first section familiarizes counselors with research related to disclosure; to benefits and concerns regarding disclosure: and to attitudes that are relevant to the issue of disclosure. The second section provides counseling and systems change strategies to enhance the disclosure and self-advocacy skills of students with disabilities regarding disabilily-related needs.