The classification of neuropsychological deficit

The study involves classification of neuropsychiatric patients on the basis of neuropsychological and intelligence test performance. One hundred twenty-five hospitalized male neuropsychiatric patients with various diagnoses were administered the Halstead-Reitan and Luria-Nebraska neuropsychological test batteries, as well as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. A cluster analysis was performed for each of those three procedures utilizing Ward's method. It was found in all cases that clusters were determined on the basis of level rather than pattern of performance. Relationships were found between cluster membership and age, education, and presence or absence of structural brain damage but were not found for diagnoses of schizophrenia or alcoholism. Schizophrenic and alcoholic patients were found in all clusters in the case of all three test procedures. Differences in clustering among the three test procedures were noted, with the WAIS being relatively more sensitive to educational differences while the Halstead-Reitan was more sensitive to age differences. The clinical utility of classifying patients on the basis of neuropsychological and cognitive test performance was discussed.Acknowledgement is made to the Veterans Administration for support of this research.     

The psychological significance of changes in skin temperature

Thirty-two female undergraduates were presented with varied, mildly stressful incentives while the temperatures of their face and hands were recorded with infrared telethermography. There was an increase of hand skin temperature to film clips intended to generate a happy affect but cooling to threatening personal questions. There was no significant skin temperature change in response to cognitive tasks or fear eliciting film clips. Larger temperature changes occurred on the hands than on the face, and most subjects were cooler on the left side of the face and the left hand than on the right side of face and right hand.     

Taxonic structure of infant reactivity: evidence from a taxometric perspective

Previously, we proposed a theoretical framework that classified infants into qualitative categories of reactivity, rather than on a continuous dimension. The present research used an objective statistical procedure (maximum covariance analysis, or MAXCOV) to determine if a qualitative latent structure, consistent with our theoretical conjectures, would be found to underlie quantitative indices of reactivity to stimuli in a sample of 599 four-month-old infants. Results of the MAXCOV analysis showed clear evidence of a latent discontinuity underlying the behavioral measures of infant reactivity. The base rate of the latent class (or taxon) was estimated at 10%. Infants within the putative high-reactivity taxon, compared with infants not in the taxon, were elevated on measures of behavioral inhibition at 4.5 years. These results provide objective empirical support for a central tenet in our theoretical model by supporting the taxonicity of infant reactivity.     

Why Study Philosophy?

A few years ago,Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert came to Yale to give a lecture.He described an experiment in which psychologists studied how one's mood could affect what one perceived.The scientists needed to get people in a good mood,or a bad mood,so as to test the differences.Gilbert explained that to get some of the Subjects in a good mood,they had them read a piece of paper on which were written expressions like this:"I see," or "I understand," or "now I get it." And to get a different group of subjects into a bad mood,they had them read a piece of paper on which were written expressions like this:"I don't understand," or "I'm lost," or "I just don't get it."