Cross-modal induction of changes in sensory thresholds

Two experiments are reported in which subliminal stimulation of one modality with emotional material impairs detection performance in a different modality. In the first experiment the visual awareness threshold for neutral material was raised by simultaneous auditory presentation of emotional words. This result supports the hypothesis that threshold changes induced by emotional stimulation are mediated centrally. In the second experiment a similar effect was obtained when the experimental roles of the two modalities were reversed. An analysis of the effect in terms of the parameters of Signal Detectability Theory indicates that it is mediated by a lowering of the sensitivity of the detection mechanism. This may be caused either by attenuation of incoming signals, or by an increase in the level of “noise” against which the signal is received.     

Comparison of output order in free recall

Two measures of output order in free recall were examined and shown to vary with characteristics of recall unrelated to output order. The output location of a subset of items in recall, using the standard recall rank measure and the “observed minus expected” score, varied both with number of items in the subset and total number of items recalled. A new measure of output order (the relative index of priority or RIP score) was proposed that is invariant with these characteristics of recall, providing an uncontaminated empirical index of the output location of a subset of items in the recall sequence.     

Traffic Offences: Planned or Habitual? Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour and habit strength to explain frequency and magnitude of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol

This study addresses the socio‐cognitive determinants of traffic offences, in particular of speeding and drinking and driving. It has two aims: (1) to test the hypothesis of a direct effect of habits on offences (i.e., independent of intentions) by employing a specific measure of habits (i.e., the SRIH) and (2) to analyse the offences by taking account of three distinct parameters: Frequency, usual magnitude (i.e., the most frequent deviation from the law) and maximal magnitude (i.e., the greatest deviation occasionally adopted) in order to represent more accurately the variability of the offending behaviours. A total of 642 drivers replied to a questionnaire. The results corroborate the idea that intention and habit are distinct and direct determinants of offences. The use of the SRIH dismisses the criticisms made with regard to the measure of past behaviour. The distinction between the three behavioural parameters proves to be relevant, as their determinants are not exactly similar. Finally, attitude and subjective norm had direct effects on the maximal magnitude and/or on the frequency of the offence. The discussion concerns the contribution of this study to the analysis of offences as well as its limitations and addresses the theoretical plausibility of the direct effects of attitude and the subjective norm.     

Psychoanalytic Engagements With Death: Discussion of Martin Frommer’s “Death Is Nothing at All: On Contemplating Non-Existence”

In this discussion, I reflect on some historical, theoretical, and clinical implications of Martin Frommer’s thesis that death anxieties are best navigated via reaffirming attachments with that which is beyond the self. Frommer’s examples of active engagement with his patients in personal modes of discourse about shared existential concerns are considered in terms of the ethics and responsibilities of self-disclosure and the therapist’s own subjective reactions to the death anxieties. Frommer’s contribution is applauded as an exemplar of relational psychoanalytic therapy that incorporates and goes beyond Freud’s formulations of internal processes of identification with the deceased.     

Reading Abraham Lincoln: An Expert/Expert Study in the Interpretation of Historical Texts

This study explored how historians with different background knowledge read a series of primary source documents. Two university-based historians thought aloud as they read documents about Abraham Lincoln and the question of slavery, with the broad goal of understanding Lincoln's views on race. The first historian brought detailed content knowledge to the documents; the second historian was familiar with some of the themes in the documents but quickly became confused in the details. After much cognitive flailing, the second historian was able to piece together an interpretative structure that brought him by the task's end to where his more knowledgeable colleague began. Data analysis focused on how, lacking detailed content knowledge, this historian was able to regain his intellectual footing, work through confusion, and resist the urge to simplify. Implications of this work for cognitive analyses in history and education are discussed.     

Preliminary examination of timesharing in United States Air Force ROTC cadets

Previous research has shown that timesharing ability--the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously--is related to various indices of aircraft pilots' proficiency. Superior timesharing has also been demonstrated by experienced pilots. The present study examined timesharing of United States Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) cadets, who are relatively inexperienced (some with no flying experience). 10 AFROTC cadets (M age = 21.4 yr., SD = 1.0) and 18 noncadets (M age = 19.8 yr., SD = 0.9) were evaluated. Participants performed a tracking task on the Multi-Attribute Task battery in a single-task condition, a dual-task condition, and a tri-task condition. Cadets' tracking performance was superior to that by noncadets in the dual-task and tri-task conditions.     

Beyond freedom and dignity at 40: comments on behavioral science, the future, and chance (2007)

Forty years after the publication of Beyond Freedom and Dignity (Skinner, 1971) and the continuing growth of behavior analysis, the future of humanity and the role of behavioral science in that future remain uncertain. A recent paper by Chance (2007) documented a shift in Skinner's views during the last years of his life. Skinner had long advocated a science and technology of behavior for finding and engineering solutions to cultural and global problems and advancing human development. This optimism had given way under a gradual realization that the science of behavior was in fact showing how such problems were unlikely to be solved in time to avert a variety of possible disasters. Chance described nine behavioral phenomena that appear to interfere with effective problem-solving behavior on a large scale and in effective time frames. These phenomena are reviewed toward an analysis of common themes. Research is also reviewed that involves nonverbal, verbal, and cultural contingencies that may lead to applications designed to address the common themes. Problems and strategies of implementation are also discussed. The challenges are daunting, but may nevertheless be regarded as technical problems best suited for a science and technology of behavior.