Binocular summation in the perception of form at brief durations

Visual form identification at brief durations was studied under: (a) monocular presentation; (b) dichopic presentation where the same form was presented successively on noncorresponding areas; and (c) dichopic presentation where the same form was presented on corresponding areas simultaneously and successively. Form identification for noncorresponding area dichopic presentation was at the level to be expected from 2 independent chances to perceive. Both simultaneous and successive dichopic presentation on corresponding areas gave identification accuracy significantly above the level predicted by the assumption of independence. However, the binocular summation was not complete. When the same amount of energy entering the visual system in a binocular presentation was given in a monocular stimulation, the latter condition gave significantly better identification.     

A note on item analysis and the criterion of internal consistency

The implications contained in Richardson's article on item analysis in March 1936 issue ofPsychometrika are examined in the light of multiple factor theory. It is shown that item analysis is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for the construction of a test which shall measure a single trait. The intercorrelations of certain items selected by a method of item analysis are examined, found to contain many zero and some negative correlations. Multiple factor analysis showed that eight traits were measured by the items which had been asserted to measure only one.     

The effect of two “tranquillizers” on auditory discrimination and delayed response performance of monkeys

Five rhesus monkeys were tested on performance of an auditory discrimination and a delayed response test with a sliding scale of increasing difficulty after treatment with (a) 0·2 to 0·5 mgm./kgm. reserpine, (b) 150 mgm./kgm. meprobamate, (c) an equivalent saline injection, and (d) no treatment. Both drug treatments resulted in a severe deficit on the auditory discrimination and no change or improvement in delayed response performance. The auditory deficit was not due simply to an increased latency of response.

It is suggested that these results support the hypothesis that reserpine and meprobamate reduce the utilization of sensory information.     

Reviews of current books

Pastoral Psychology -     

A technique for correlating measurable traits with freely observed social behaviors

In much research in social psychology it is impractical to get quantitative measure of the degree of effectiveness of certain social behaviors, yet associates can sense that effectiveness sufficiently well to detect those who manifest the behavior in very high or in very low degree. This paper develops a technique of biserial correlation from wide-spread classes to deal statistically with such situations, develops standard error formulas for it, and points to a wide range of usefulness for this type of technique.