A Case-Study of the Careers Service Placement Function

A number of models of the placement function of the Careers Service are presented. Various hypotheses generated by the models are tested, using data collected from Careers Service records. Specifically, a multivariate analysis is performed to show which personal and social characteristics are associated with a higher probability of being submitted for a permanent vacancy. The implications of the analysis for the Careers Service are discussed.     

A comparison of recollective memory and source monitoring

Participants in recognition memory experiments are often asked for additional information about their memories after each positive recognition response. Two experiments were conducted that were identical, except that the first asked participants to make remember/familiar judgments about the items they recognized, and the second asked them to make source judgments. The similarity between the recollection and source judgment data has implications for measurement issues and theory development.     

Using the internet to extend training in team problem solving

A hybrid training approach, composed of both computer-mediated communication on the Internet and face-to-face meetings, was implemented. The goals were to examine whether such an approach (1) could be used to extend traditional, short-term training, and (2) would be perceived as useful by the trainees. A central element of the approach was thelinchpin expert, a trainer who served as a communication bridge on the Internet between a team of trainers and a team of trainees. A coding system was developed to analyze the content of the Internet messages. Logistic regression analysis revealed that two types of content were related to the trainees’ perceptions that the messages enhanced their expertise in team problem solving: (1) outcome feedback given to a trainee about a specific activity, and (2) the sharing of conceptual information. The trainees perceived face-to-face and computer-mediated communications with the linchpin expert as being important to their development of expertise.     

Measuring abuse stress and negative cognitive appraisals in child sexual abuse: Validity data on two new scales

The validity of two measures assessing degree of stress associated with child sexual abuse was examined in a sample of 48 girls who had been sexually abused. The Checklist of Sexual Abuse and Related Stressors (C-SARS) assessed negative life events that were part of or were related to the abuse, and the Negative Appraisals of Sexual Abuse Scale (NASAS) assessed negative cognitive appraisals of threat, harm, or loss associated with the abuse. Total scores for victim reports of both stressful events and negative appraisals were positively and significantly related to two other measures of abuse severity: therapist ratings of abuse stress and the number of types of sexual abuse reported. Stressful event scores were also related to aggressive behavior problems, sexual concerns, and total symptom scores on the Child Behavior Checklist. Negative cognitive appraisal scores were related to victims' self-reports of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms, and to parent reports of child depression and total symptoms. Regression analyses indicated that there were significant effects of negative appraisals on internalizing symptoms when controlling for the level of stressful events experienced. The results suggest that negative life events and negative appraisals associated with sexual abuse are valid constructs that help account for variability in mental health outcomes among child victims. The implications of these results and future research directions in examining variable outcomes among sexual abuse victims are discussed.     

Some Thoughts on Language Use in Therapy

Drawing on the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein and his own experience as a therapist and educator/trainer, the author describes some of the issues involved in helping therapists to find their way out of various muddles and mazes that are deeply embedded in language.     

Analysis of discriminative control by social behavioral stimuli

Visual discriminative control of the behavior of one rat by the behavior of another was studied in a two-compartment chamber. Each rat's compartment had a food cup and two response keys arranged vertically next to the clear partition that separated the two rats. Illumination of the leader's key lights signaled a “search” period when a response by the leader on the unsignaled and randomly selected correct key for that trial illuminated the follower's keys. Then, a response by the follower on the corresponding key was reinforced, or a response on the incorrect key terminated the trial without reinforcement. Accuracy of following the leader increased to 85% within 15 sessions. Blocking the view of the leader reduced accuracy but not to chance levels. Apparent control by visual behavioral stimuli was also affected by auditory stimuli and a correction procedure. When white noise eliminated auditory cues, social learning was not acquired as fast nor as completely. A reductionistic position holds that behavioral stimuli are the same as nonsocial stimuli; however, that does not mean that they do not require any separate treatment. Behavioral stimuli are usually more variable than nonsocial stimuli, and further study is required to disentangle behavioral and nonsocial contributions to the stimulus control of social interactions.     

Discriminability and criterion differences between extraverts and introverts during vigilance

In a signal detection task introverts were better able than extraverts to distinguish between the signal and noise distribution (p < .001) and also set a higher criterion point for their responses (p < .01). The results show that superior vigilance in introverts reported by other investigators is due to two processes.     

FOCLAB: A language for computer-controlled psychology research

The FOCLAB system, a dialect of FOCAL, provides complete real-time experiment control and data acquisition capabilities in the area of experimental psychology. The language provides digital and analog input/output, graphics (including alphanumerics) on a refresh CRT, and a powerful set of time measurement operations. With these facilities FOCAL may be used in cognitive and operant, as well as psychophysiological research. FOCLAB will operate with either PDP-8 or PDP-12 systems, and can control most of the currently existing lab interface options for these computers. The system will operate on 8K core-only machines, as well as under OS/8.