Visual orientation illusions: global mechanisms involved in hierarchical effects and frames of reference

Five experiments were conducted in order to determine which of two hypotheses, initially proposed by Rock (1990), accounts for interactions between oriented elements in a visual scene. We also explored the suggestion that two hypothetical processes--namely, frame of reference and hierarchical organization--describe phenomena arising from distinct mechanisms (Spinelli, Antonucci, Daini, Martelli, & Zoccolotti, 1999). Double inducing stimulus versions of one-dimensional and two-dimensional tilt illusions, the rod-and-frame illusion, and combinations of these were used. Our data suggest that both hypotheses can predict orientation interactions in conditions in which only one mechanism--namely, the global visual mechanism of symmetry axes extraction (Wenderoth & Beh, 1977)--is activated. Which hypothesis is appropriate to predict the perceived orientation depends on some physical features of the objects.     

Latent change models of adult cognition: are changes in processing speed and working memory associated with changes in episodic memory?

The authors used 6-year longitudinal data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study (VLS) to investigate individual differences in amount of episodic memory change. Latent change models revealed reliable individual differences in cognitive change. Changes in episodic memory were significantly correlated with changes in other cognitive variables, including speed and working memory. A structural equation model for the latent change scores showed that changes in speed and working memory predicted changes in episodic memory, as expected by processing resource theory. However, these effects were best modeled as being mediated by changes in induction and fact retrieval. Dissociations were detected between cross-sectional ability correlations and longitudinal changes. Shuffling the tasks used to define the Working Memory latent variable altered patterns of change correlations.     

Catholic pastoral care as a response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa

Recent estimates suggest that more than 10% of Southern Africa is HIV+. This article is based on a research study of sixty four pastoral care projects focussing on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa. The projects, which fall under the auspices of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference AIDS office, focus on both education for HIV prevention and the pastoral care of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The article recounts the results achieved by these projects over the last two years, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, and proposes some recommendations for further action. The author discusses the pastoral and theological dimensions of these pastoral services indicating the importance of socio-cultural mediation in pastoral responses.     

Storage of features, conjunctions and objects in visual working memory

Working memory can be divided into separate subsystems for verbal and visual information. Although the verbal system has been well characterized, the storage capacity of visual working memory has not yet been established for simple features or for conjunctions of features. The authors demonstrate that it is possible to retain information about only 3-4 colors or orientations in visual working memory at one time. Observers are also able to retain both the color and the orientation of 3-4 objects, indicating that visual working memory stores integrated objects rather than individual features. Indeed, objects defined by a conjunction of four features can be retained in working memory just as well as single-feature objects, allowing many individual features to be retained when distributed across a small number of objects. Thus, the capacity of visual working memory must be understood in terms of integrated objects rather than individual features.     

Subjectivity and Orientation in Levinas and Kant

Continental Philosophy Review - This essay presents an argument for reconceptualizing subjectivity as orientational rather than foundational in nature. My focus is on the work of Emmanuel Levinas...     

Dating Relationships and the Demand/Withdraw Pattern of Communication

This study examines whether afemale-demand/male-withdraw pattern occurs in datingrelationships and whether this response increases duringdiscussions of difficult topics. One hundred and eightindividuals (women = 60, men = 48) currently in a datingrelationship completed the Communication PatternsQuestionnaire, Short Form (CPQSF) regarding either adifficult or nondifficult discussion. The racialcomposition of the undergraduate student population at thetime the study was conducted was 68.8% Caucasian, 8.9%Hispanic, 8.9% International, 6.0% African American,5.6% Asian American, and 1.8% Native American (data on socioeconomic status were unavailable).Results show that dating couples do employ apredominantly female-demand/male-withdraw pattern, whichincreases in response to difficult discussions. However, this study also found that many dating couplesemployed male-demand/female-withdraw or equaldemand/withdraw patterns. Post hoc tests also showedthat couples exhibiting eitherfemale-demand/male-withdraw or male-demand/female-withdraw patterns weremore ingrained in specific negative behavior patterns,employed more demand/withdraw behaviors, and exhibitedless positive behaviors than couples with an equal demand/withdraw pattern.     

The Role of Self-Awareness and Self-Monitoring in Charismatic Relationships

In this paper, a hypothesis from a theory of charismatic relationships is examined that incorporates follower's level of self-monitoring and state of self-awareness. It is argued that changes in the state of self-awareness affect the characteristics of the short-term charismatic relationship between leader and follower, but only for high self-monitoring followers. Providing support for the hypothesis was a repeated-measures study. Participants ( N = 78) viewed video vignettes of charismatic leaders presenting different messages, in either a high or low self-awareness condition. When high in self-awareness, participants with a high self-monitoring orientation were more likely than when in a state of low self-awareness to internalize only those messages congruent with their values and beliefs.     

Gangsta’ Rap and a Murder in Bakersfield1

The present study explores the biasing effects of gangsta’ rap lyrics on subject perceptions of a murder trial defendant's personality. The lyrics were those actually authored by a defendant in a murder trial on which the present author was a psychological consultant for the defense. Results strongly indicate that the defendant was seen as more likely to have committed a murder than had he not been presented as authoring such lyrics. Surprisingly, results also show that the writing of such rap lyrics was more damning in terms of adjudged personality characteristics than was the fact of being charged with murder.