The effects of stimulant drugs on curiosity behaviors of hyperactive boys

The curiosity behaviors of 20 hyperactive boys, both on and off stimulant drugs, and in relation to 20 nonhyperactive boys, were assessed. Comparisons on object, manipulative, conceptual, perceptual, and reactive curiosity tasks indicated that stimulants reduced only the object curiosity task performance of hyperactive boys, although the level tended to remain above that of nonhyperactive boys. Also, hyperactive boys both on and off drugs tended to have lower conceptual curiosity scores than controls. Implications are discussed.     

The impact of spouse monitoring on target behavior and recorder satisfaction

The objectives of this study were (a) to determine the impact of a spouse monitoring procedure on the target's (husband's) behavior and the recorder (wife's) view of the marriage and (b) to assess the relationship between the target's positive behaviors and the recorder's marital satisfaction rating. In one condition, husbands were informed that their behavior was being observed, whereas in a comparison group, husbands were kept unaware of the observation procedure. In both conditions, wives kept daily recordings of (a) positive behaviors emitted by their husbands and (b) perceptions of their marital relationships. No differences were found in rates of husbands' behavior or in wives' perceptions of their marriages as a function of the awareness manipulation. Analyses examining the relationship between spouse behavior and daily satisfaction ratings indicated a statistically reliable association, although the majority of variance in satisfaction ratings was attributable to unique subject variables.This article is based on a thesis submitted by the first author to the Department of Psychology of the University of Pittsburgh. The described research was supported in part by a Faculty Research Grant from the University of Pittsburgh awarded to the second author.     

Illusory contours: On the efficacy of their need for expression

When an illusory-figure pattern is presented against a physical lightness gradient, the illusory figure’s lightness relative to the surround is often the reverse of the usual effect, a fact that suggests that, rather than the figure’s depending upon illusory lightness, real lightness differences can be utilized in its expression. A second demonstration suggests that the apparent strength of the lightness effect may be greater where there is relatively less physical expression of the contour. Again, the establishment of the contour seems to involve more than merely “capturing” illusory lightness.     

Autonomic and behavioral effects of dextroamphetamine and placebo in normal and hyperactive prepubertal boys

The hypothesis is tested that the response to dextroamphetamine in terms of activity, attention, impulsivity, and autonomic activity is similar in normal (N) and hyperactive (H) children. Fourteen N and 15 H boys had skin conductance (SC), heart rate (HR), and finger temperature (ST) recorded during rest, presentation of eight 75- dB tones, and a reaction time (RT) procedure on three occasions: off drug (Day 1) and after ingestion (double-blind) of placebo and of .5 mg/kg dextroamphetamine. Both N and H groups showed drug effects, compared to placebo, of reduced motor activity and impulsivity, improved attention (RT), increased HR and HR slowing during RT foreperiods, and decreased ST. Both groups also had decreases in SC responsivity but in different parts of the test. Placebo compared to Day 1 produced increased activity and autonomic arousal but no change in RT. Stimulant drugs thus have similar behavioral and autonomic effects in both N and H boys, but the beneficial effects on behavior do not depend critically on increases in arousal.     

Idiosyncratic exceptions to the probability-matching decision-rule in visual discrimination

Human “Yes-No” signal-detection performance was tested under a modified perceptual-defense procedure. A majority of Ss tended to match the relative frequency with which they gave affirmative responses to the relative frequency at which signals were presented. These Ss thereby replicated the “probability-matching” behavior found in previous signal-detection and discrimination studies. However, in marked contrast to those previous results, another large set of Ss showed a tendency toward preponderant use of one of the two responses (typically, of “No”) rather than toward probability-matching. The evidence failed to suggest that the latter effect was related to a lesser ability to make the requisite sensory discrimination or to response inhibition induced by taboo stimuli.     

The effects of eye position and expectation on sound localization

Ss who are exposed to a sound coming from straight ahead, but who turn their eyes 20 deg to the side toward a visible speaker during the exposure period and expect to hear the sound coming from the visible source, show a shift in localization of the sound up to a maximum of about 9 deg. Ss who only turn their eyes 20 deg to the side during the exposure period show a smaller but significant shift in sound localization, while Ss who do not turn their eyes, but are led to expect that the sound will appear to come from a visible loudspeaker 20 deg to the side, show no significant shift. Comparison of test results before and after the exposure period, with eyes directed straight ahead and no visible speaker present, shows the presence of a localization aftereffect for those experimental groups that showed a significant localization shift during the exposure period. Sounds are localized a few degrees to the side of their physical location in the same direction as the shift in localization during the exposure period. Further experiments show that part, but not all, of the shift in localization during the exposure period can be understood in terms of a shift in perceived head direction. The localization aftereffects are shown not to be due to change in physical or perceived eye or head position.     

An analysis of some conditions for representingN state Markov processes as general all or none models

Recently Markov learning models with two unidentifiable presolution success states, an error state, and an absorbing learned state, have been suggested to handle certain aspects of data better than the three state Markov models of the General All or None model type. In attempting to interpret psychologically, and evaluate statistically the adequacy of various classes of Markov models, a knowledge of the relationship between the classes of models would be helpful. This paper considers some aspects of the relationship between the class of General All or None models and the class of Stationary Absorbing Markov models withN error states, andM presolution success states.     

College Student Personnel and Academic Freedom for Students

The issue of academic freedom for students is frequently a source of heated controversy. In the emotionally charged atmosphere that surrounds this question the true nature and purpose of academic freedom are too often obscured. This discussion focuses attention on the philosophical and educational premises that underlie this concept and attempts to examine it from several frames of reference. A brief summary tracing the historical evolution of academic freedom for students to the present is developed and 8 common points of emphasis as interpreted from several current statements on the subject are outlined. An additional concern of some moment involving the relationship and responsibility of the college student personnel worker to these 8 significant points of common emphasis is noted.