Spatiotopic and retinotopic components of iconic memory

Summary Recently, there has been considerable interest in whether information in iconic memory is stored in retinotopic or spatiotopic coordinates. The present experiment examined the issue using a masking paradigm. In one set of conditions, subjects maintained fixation while a row of four letters appeared for 19 ms, centered about three degrees to the right of fixation. After a 153 ms ISI, the letters were followed by a blank field (no mask), a mask in the same position as the letters, or a mask displaced three degrees to the right of the letters. In a second set of conditions, the stimuli were the same but subjects were asked to shift fixation from the fixation point to the middle of the letter row during the interval between the letters and the mask. Subjects' eye movements were monitored in all conditions. Accuracy of report for the letters was lowered only with the mask over the letters with the no-eye-movement conditions and in both masking conditions with the eye movements. The results suggest that the icon includes two components, one that is retinotopic and one that is spatiotopic.     

Humour as a tool in counselling and psychotherapy: A reversal-theory perspective

Humour has occasionally been regarded as a valuable tool in counselling and psychotherapy. The specific uses of humour and its potential as a coping tactic are rarely described. The therapeutic use of humour is accordingly examined in the light of reversal theory (Apter, 1982a). It is suggested that the use of humour needs to be related to the motivational task implicit in the therapeutic interaction.     

UCS revaluation and conditioning models of acquired fears

Recent developments in the study of Pavlovian conditioning in humans have suggested that the strength of a conditioned response (CR) is affected not only by associative processes that link the conditioned stimulus (CS) with the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), but also by processes which lead the individual to revalue the UCS itself. These latter processes can frequently lead to dramatic changes in CR strength independently of any experience with the CS-UCS contingency. This paper discusses a number of ways in which UCS revaluation can be effected in human subjects, and discusses their implications for conditioning models of acquired fears.     

Indirectly expressed motivational deficits among arthritic adults

The present experiment examined whether adults suffering from arthritis evidence motivational deficits reflective of a diminished sense of effectiveness in dealing with their environment. Content-coding of imaginative stories revealed that both osteoarthritics and rheumatoid arthritics possess significantly lower levels of achievement and power motivation compared with control subjects. Furthermore, arthritic patients with poor health status, as assessed by the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales, were found to be especially low in their level of achievement motivation. No differences between arthritics and healthy controls were found when self-report measures of achievement and power motivation were used in place of the thematically coded indices. That is, arthritics reported that their desire to do something better and their desire to influence others was just as strong as that of healthy adults. This suggests that arthritic adults suffer from a motivational deficit that may not be revealed in response to direct questions about their motives or goals.This research was funded by a National Institute of Health Grant (AR 20613) to the Multipurpose Arthritis Center at Boston University and by a fellowship from the Seaver Institute.     

Anger control in response to verbal provocation: Effects of stimulant medication for boys with ADHD

Although stimulant medication reduces hyperactive children's aggression in naturalistic settings, stimulant effects on anger control have not been demonstrated. We therefore assessed the role of methylphenidate in enhancing response to verbal provocation from familiar peers and from role-playing adults. Twenty-four boys with attention deficithyperactivity disorder (ADHD), aged 6–12, received small-group cognitivebehavioral intervention in anger management skills. During posttraining assessments, the children were randomly assigned to placebo versus. 6 mg/kg of methylphenidate. In the peer provocations, methylphenidate enhanced self-control, decreased physical retaliation, and marginally increased the display of coping strategies. Medication and prompting were minimally beneficial in the delayed, adult-administered generalization assessments. Among the issues discussed are (a) differences between peer and adult provocation and (b) the roles of medication dosage and multimodality intervention for promoting socially competent behavior in children with ADHD.We gratefully acknowledge the Fernald Child Study Center of the University of California, Los Angeles, which provided major support for this research. In addition, we acknowledge the dedication of the small-group trainers, too numerous to mention individually, who led the intervention procedures for the children, and the experimenters who performed the individual provocation assessments. The careful behavior observations of Linda Douglas, Rebecca Eiser, Deborah Gibson, Mike Glenn, Melissa Michaelson, Jon Rafuse, Fauzia Simjee, Leslie Sherman, and Madelin Tundidor were central to the study. Finally, our colleagues Barbara Henker and Carol K. Whalen were instrumental in facilitating all aspects of this investigation.     

Vagueness and incoherence: A reply to Burns

I would like to thank Terence Horgan, William Throop and especially my wife, Diane Schwartz, for helpful suggestions for improving this paper and for valuable and insightful discussions on the topic of vagueness. I would also like to thank Ithaca College for generously supporting the work on this paper with a Summer Research Grant.     

The meter of syncopated auditory polyrhythms

Subjects tapped the perceived meter or beat of polyrhythms that consisted of two conflicting pulse trains (e.g., three elements/repetition vs. five elements/repetition). The meter interpretation was based on the global rhythmic properties of a polyrhythm as well as on the temporal properties of each pulse train. The rhythmic properties of a polyrhythm restricted the range of meter interpretations. Some polyrhythms were overdetermined and allowed but one meter, while others were more ambiguous and allowed several meters. For all polyrhythms, however, the temporal interval between elements of a pulse train determined whether that pulse train would serve as the background beat. These results demonstrate the value of a hierarchic analysis of rhythm     

TRAINING COUNSELING SKILLS: AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS AND SOCIAL VALIDATION

A community development perspective suggests the value of using local resources to solve local problems. Two low-income staff of a community service center served as nonprofessional counselors after receiving a training program consisting of written instructions, practice, and performance feedback. The effects of the 40-hour training program were positive for both counseling and problem-solving skills. There was also evidence of generalization of counseling performance across clients, problems, and time. In addition, expert judges' ratings of performance were obtained as a measure of social validity. These findings suggest that the training procedures are effective in enhancing the counseling and problem-solving skills of low-income nonprofessionals.