Response rate, latency, and resistance to change

Pigeons were trained on a multiple variable-interval/variable-interval schedule with pacing contingencies that generated high response rates in one component and low response rates in the other. Timeout periods separated the schedule components. During resistance-to-change tests, response-independent food was presented during the timeout periods, and the duration of that food presentation was varied among test sessions. Response rates in the schedule components decreased and latencies to the first response increased as a function of the duration of food presentations during the timeout. Both dependent measures changed about the same amount relative to their own baseline levels. The conclusions are that baseline response rates controlled by pacing contingencies are equally resistant to change, given equal reinforcement densities, and latency is a sensitive measure of resistance to change.     

Personal meaning as therapy: The roots and branches of Frankl's psychology

In recent years, Victor E. Frankl, the Viennese psychiatrist who is the founder of what has come to be known as the Third Viennese School of Psychology — Freud and Adler constituting the founders of the other two schools — has emerged as the leading proponent in psychotherapeutic circles of the centrality of the experience of “meaning” in mental health.” The goal of human life, argues Frankl, is to find meaning and order in the world for “me” personally and “us” collectively — both as an individual and a social sense of purpose and orderliness of the inner and outer environment. This paper attempts to identify—within the framework of the Jewish mystical tradition — the sources and origins of Frankl's scientific constructs in psychotherapy, and their manifestations in psychoreligious therapeutics.     

A developmental-genetic analysis of aggressive behavior in mice: I. Behavioral outcomes

In order to investigate the proposal that modifications in developmental rate may mediate differences in aggressive behavior, two series of selective breeding studies were completed. Stable lines of mice that differed in the frequency and latency of attacks were rapidly established in two series (by S1 in the first series and S3 or S4 in the second series). For evaluation of the developmental-genetic proposal, an analysis was made of the ontogeny of aggressive expression in male mice of the two series, with a detailed report provided of the S1 and S4 generations of the second breeding series. Comparisons between the results of a longitudinal design and the results of a new type of cross-sectional design (involving only siblings, or co-sibial) indicated (a) a reliable developmental course of attack expression, with a sharp rise in early maturity and a slow decline thereafter; (b) a convergence in later maturity of the behavior of lines selectively bred for high or low aggressive behavior, if the animals had been assigned to the longitudinal design; (c) a strong effect of repeated testing on attack latency and frequency, even though the dyadic tests were brief in duration and separated by long intervals. In addition, cross-generational comparisons suggested that the selective breeding differences came about primarily by changes in the behavior of the low aggressive lines, in that these animals failed to show in early maturity the sharp increases in attack occurrence that were observed in earlier generations. Certain implications of these findings for developmental and evolutionary concepts (e.g., neoteny, acceleration, heterochrony) are discussed.     

Accommodation fatigue and dark focus: The effects of accommodation-free visual work as assessed by two psychophysical methods

Past studies of accommodation fatigue have yielded inconsistent results, partly because they have not used direct measures of accommodation, and partly because they may have been based on a misleading conception of the nature of accommodation. The dual-innervation theory of accommodation suggests that the resting position of accommodation may be neuromuscular rather than just muscular, and that it lies not at optical infinity, as assumed by older conceptions, but at some intermediate position (dark focus). Among the predictions that may be deduced from this theory is that long-term visual work not requiring active accommodation will not induce fatigue. The present study involved continuous measurements of dark focus for 10 young adults over a 3-h period, using the laser optometer with two psychophysical procedures Ibracketing and staircase. Consistent with the prediction, no changes in dark focus were found, in spite of the demanding visual task. Furthermore, it was found that both psychophysical methods yielded essentially identical results. The practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed, and recommendations are given regarding situations in which each of the psychophysical methods is likely to be most useful.     

Changes in excitability in motor cortex (representation of foreleg) of the dog depending on signal signification of flexor reaction during elaboration of trans switching

Excitability in a cortical representation of a foreleg was determined during elaboration of transswitching in dogs in three variations depending upon the stimulus used as a Conditioned stimulus (CS). If the flexor reaction to direct stimulation of the motor cortex was used as a CS, excitability changes of opposite signs appeared in the cortical representation of the foreleg, the threshold of flexion decreased in the alimentary situation and increased in the defense situation. Such changes in excitability were observed during instrumental conditioned transswitching. If subthreshold stimulation of the motor cortex was used as the CS, the threshold of flexion increased in both situations in approximately equal degree.     

Glutamate as a transmitter in the CNS and its presumed significance in the pathogenesis of cerebral seizure forms--recent aspects

Glutamate is believed to be quantitatively the most outstanding of the excitatory transmitters in the CNS. Certain conformationally related analogues, e. g. kainate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, ibotenate, and homocysteate, act as glutamate agonists. The local or systemic administration of these "excitotoxic" compounds induces epileptiform activity pointing out new and deeper insights into the epileptic process. Additionally, the glutamate transmitter hypothesis is expected to give a chance of a causal comprehension for choreatic processes as well as for the mode of action of anticonvulsant and antispastic agents.     

The sociodynamogram--a contribution to the objectivization of group process

Two simple sociometric techniques for practical use are described which are derived from the data given in the sociogram. Compared with the conventional sociogram, the group rank score we use everyday therapy has the advantage that it can be published. It permits members of the group to better identify the social situations which cause specific psychic impulses. The sociogram is reserved for the therapist. In our opinion the sociodynamogram has certain advantages over both methods because it provides an insight into spheres which are inaccessible in the sociogram and group rank score.     

Quantitative amino acid determination in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid in endogenous depressions

The levels of 20 amino acids were measured in the plasma and cerbrospinal fluid of 41 patients with endogenic depressions. The plasma levels of 12 amino acids were found to be significantly lower in the patients than in the control group, but cerebrospinal fluid levels were significantly lower only in the case of taurine, glutamine, phenylalanine and aginine. Comparison of the same amino acid levels in treated and non-treated patients showed that serine and alpha-aminobutyric acid serum concentrations were higher in the nontreated patients. The tyrosine and phenylalanine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of the patients who had received medicamentous treatment were higher than in the other group.