Regression effect in psychophysical judgment

Psychophysical judgment, like all other kinds of judgment, involves a matching or equating of two different domains. When the judgment involves the matching of values on two perceptual continua, the observer tends, on the average, to constrict the range of his adjustments on whichever variable is placed under his control. When the observer adjusts each variable in turn, two different regression lines are produced. This regression effect presumably occurs whenever the results of the matching judgments yield less than a perfect correlation. Illustrative examples are given for the continua, loudness, vibration, brightness, and duration.     

Assessment of the relative importance of S+ and S− in rats using differential training on intercurrent discriminations

The present studies assessed the degree of stimulus control exerted by S+ and S? without confoundings of stimulus novelty and stimulus ambiguity. In Experiment 1, rats were trained on two intercurrent simultaneous discrimination problems with nine times more training given on one than the other. Then the animals were given transfer tests with re-paired stimuli. The results showed that S? exerts greater stimulus control than S+ in a two-choice simultaneous discrimination. Experiment 2 provided a test of the possibility that the relative degree of control by S? varies with different amounts of training. Three groups were trained on two intercurrent simultaneous discrimination problems; each group was given 7, 11, or 15 times more training on one problem than the other. Then transfer tests were given with re-paired stimuli. Again the results showed that S? exerts greater stimulus control than S+ in a two-choice simultaneous discrimination.     

Determinants of competitive performance expectancies of young male athletes1

Although performance expectancies have been shown to be important mediators of achievement behavior, few specific determinants of personal expectancies have been identified, the ecological validity of previous results is limited, and factors influencing group performance expectancies have not been determined. Therefore, the purpose of this field study involving 11- and 12-year-old male soccer players was twofold. First, we examined specific intrapersonal and situational factors influencing players' pregame personal and team performance expectancies. Second, we investigated the effects of winning and losing a competitive soccer game on players' postgame team expectancies involving a hypothetical rematch with the identical opponent. The pregame findings revealed that (a) the intrapersonal factors of ability and self-esteem were related to personal performance expectancies while competitive trait anxiety was not, and (b) the situational factors of past win-loss record and a prior game win or loss against the same opponent influenced team performance expectancies. The postgame findings revealed that future expectancies were affected by the interactive effects of game win-loss and self-esteem.     

The relation between proximity and brightness similarity in dot patterns

The Gestalt studies demonstrated the tendency to visually organize dots on the basis of similarity, proximity, and global properties such as closure, good continuation, and symmetry. The particular organization imposed on a collection of dots is thus determined by many factors, some local, some global. We discuss computational reasons for expecting the initial stages of grouping to be achieved by processes with purely local support. In the case of dot patterns, the expectation is that neighboring dots are grouped as a function of proximity and similarity of contrast, by processes that are independent of the overall organization and the various global factors. We describe experiments that suggest a purely local relationship between proximity and brightness similarity in perceptual grouping.     

Surface tilt (the direction of slant): A neglected psychophysical variable

Surface slant (the angle between the line of sight and the surface normal) is an important psychophysical variable. However, slant angle captures only one of the two degrees of freedom of surface orientation, the other being thedirection of slant. Slant direction, measured in the image plane, coincides with the direction of the gradient of distance from viewer to surface and, equivalently, with the direction the surface normal would point if projected onto the image plane. Since slant direction may be quantified by the tilt of the projected normal (which ranges over 360 deg in the frontal plane), it is referred to here assurface tilt. (Note that slant angle is measured perpendicular to the image plane, whereas tilt angle is measured in the image plane.) Compared with slant angle’s popularity as a psychophysical variable, the attention paid to surface tilt seems undeservedly scant. Experiments that demonstrate a technique for measuring apparent surface tilt are reported. The experimental stimuli were oblique crosses and parallelograms, which suggest oriented planes in 3-D. The apparent tilt of the plane might be probed by orienting a needle in 3-D so as to appear normal, projecting the normal onto the image plane, and measuring its direction (e.g., relative to the horizontal). It is shown to be preferable, however, to merely rotate a line segment in 2-D, superimposed on the display, until it appears normal to the perceived surface. The apparent surface tilt recorded in these experiments corresponded closely to that predicted by assuming the 3-D configurations consist of equal-length lines and perpendicular intersections.     

Effects of sex of subject,sex of stimulus cue,and androgyny level on evaluations in work situations which evoke sex role stereotypes

This study examined the differential evaluation of male and female stimulus cues and the effect of subject's androgyny level on their evaluations. Male and female college students filled out the Bem Sex Role Inventory (1974) and responded to set of five in-basket tasks taken from the Rosen, Jerdee, and Prestwich (1975) study of male managers. Sex of subject, sex of stimulus cue in the in-basket tasks, and androgyny level were varied in a series of 2 X 2 X 3 analyses of variance. On some tasks, male and/or female subjects responded in a sex role stereotyped manner. There were no effects for androgyny level. The discussion focused on circumstances under which stereotyping occurs and implications of the study.     

Memory Interventions for Persons with Dementia

It is possible to design effective, pragmatically useful memory interventions for persons with Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT). A review of successful memory interventions for such populations is presented. A particularly effective intervention technique, spaced-retrieval, is described and the theoretical basis for its effectiveness is discussed. A detailed account is presented of a spaced-retrieval intervention in which persons with DAT are trained to learn and utilize a strategy, i.e., remembering to use a calendar listing daily activities. Directions for future research in this area are offered.     

Self-protection and growth as the motivational force behind majority group members' cultural adaptation and discrimination: A parallel mediation model via intergroup contact and threat

What motivates majority group members to adapt to or reject cultural diversity? Considering the relevance of personal values on our attitudes and behaviours, we inspected how self-protection and growth predict levels of discriminatory behavioural and cultural adaptation intentions towards migrants via intergroup contact and perceived intergroup threats, simultaneously (i.e., parallel mediation). Specifically, positive contact between groups is known for reducing prejudice through diminishing perceived intergroup threats. Yet current research emphasises the role of individual differences in this interplay while proposing a parallel relationship between perceived intergroup threats and contact. Also by inspecting cultural adaptation and discriminatory behavioural intentions, the present study examined more proximal indicators of real-world intergroup behaviours than explored in past research. Using data from 304 US Americans, structural equation modelling indicated a good fit for a parallel mediation model with growth relating positively to cultural adaptation intentions and negatively to discriminatory behavioural intentions through being positively associated with intergroup contact and negatively with perceived intergroup threats, simultaneously. The reverse was found for self-protection. These findings stress that personal values constitute a relevant individual difference in the contact/threats-outcome relationship, providing a motivational explanation for majority group members' experience of cultural diversity in their own country.