A self-contained microcomputer system for psychological testing

This paper describes a newly available microcomputer system for the on-line administration, scoring, and interpretation of psychological tests. User response to the system is reported. Results of a validity study of the system’s Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory interpretative program are presented.     

A fish activity-monitoring device using a low-power infrared photobeam

An activity-monitor system for fish or other aquatic animals has been developed that uses a single low-level infrared (IRED) photobeam. The IRED source emits with a peak wavelength of 960 nm and requires only 70-mW average power input for an operating range of greater than 50 cm in sea water. This represents an order of magnitude reduction in power and more than a doubling of range over other reported designs. The cost for a single-beam channel is approximately $30.     

Organizational preparedness for change: Staff acceptance of an on-line computer-assisted assessment system

An on-line assessment system is briefly described. Previous positive evaluation studies are summarized. Results of studies of staff acceptance and staff preparedness for change are reported. Findings are interpreted in terms of the need for planning for change. Implications related to the acceptance of other on-line computer systems in psychology are discussed.     

Self-report and physiologic responding during in vivo flooding

Self-report and physiologic measures of arousal were obtained during in vivo flooding sessions. Minimal correspondence was found between these two assessment modalities. The significance of these findings for treatment is discussed.     

Children's knowledge of the separation of variables concept

Children 8, 10, and 13 years of age were either given prior experience constructing seriations or matrices with two-dimensional stimuli, or no prior experience. Knowledge of the separation of variables concept was then assessed by examining children's use of controlled tests of a problem variable's effect (probe questions), and recognition of the inadequacy of confounded variable tests (negative counter-suggestion questions). Although many children either passed both questions or failed both questions, a significant number of children correctly used controlled variable tests, and yet failed to recognize the inadequacy of a confounded test. These results suggest that although a preliminary form of the separation of variables concept is characterized by use of controlled variable tests, subsequent refinement of the concept includes recognition of the inadequacy of confounded tests. Relative to seriation, prior experience constructing matrices facilitated recognition of a confounded test's inadequacy. Constructing matrices may have focused attention on the simultaneous variation of problem elements on multiple dimensions and thus facilitated recognition of the necessary role of both variation of stimuli on test dimensions and equality of stimuli on nontest dimensions, e.g., a controlled test.     

Active and passive observers' attraction to a self-disclosing other

Active observer (participant) subjects were induced to make either a high or a low intimacy disclosure about themselves to a partner. Their (videotaped confederate) partner then disclosed either intimately or non-intimately in return. The impressions and attributions of these subjects were compared to the predictions of passive observer subjects (non-participants) who were each furnished with the original instructions, heard a tape recording of a different active observer's disclosure, and watched the same videotape of the confederate that person had seen. As expected, both active observers' responses and passive observers' predictions indicated a preference for the intimate partner. In addition, passive observers' attraction predictions were less positive than active observers' reports. But contrary to the hypotheses, passive observers predicted that active observers would attribute the partner's disclosure more to personalistic causes than was actually the case, and guessed inaccurately that active observers would interpret the partner's intimacy as an indicator of attraction. The methodological implications of these active-passive observer differences for research in self-disclosure and relationships are discussed.     

An individualistic approach to the evaluation and remediation of stuttering

A decision model is presented to facilitate the evaluation of stuttering behavior. This model calls for the evaluation to be conducted along a continuum with specified initiation and termination points. Following the evaluation, the information is formulated into an organized remediation procedure leading to fluent productions in the individual. This approach allows evaluation and remediation to be individualized to meet the needs and capabilities of each stutterer while allowing the professional the flexibility to choose remediation materials on the basis of objective information. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the use of the approach.     

Effects of stress and retesting on role play tests of social skill

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of stress in performance on role play tests of social skill. Chronic psychiatric patients were tested in a formal videotape studio or in an informal consulting room setting. Motoric and physiological measures were secured. In addition, one-half of the subjects were retested one week later. In contrast to previous studies, results indicated that the assessment was not stressful. The two groups were not different on any measure, and the mean heart rates ranged from only 80 to 84 b.p.m. The effects of retesting were difficult to interpret. There were reductions in motoric indices of anxiety (speech disruptions) but not on physiological indices. Overall, testretest reliability was quite high. The results raise several questions which affect interpretation of many social skills studies in the literature.     

Fundamental frequency as a cue to postvocalic consonantal voicing: Some data from speech perception and production

Several recent studies by Lehiste have reported that changes in fundamental frequency (F0) can serve as a cue to perceived vowel length and, furthermore, that the perceived lengthening of the vowel can influence perception of the voicing feature of stop consonants in syllable-final position. In Experiment 1, we replicated Lehiste’s basic results for stop consonants in final position. Experiment 2 extended these results to postvocalic fricatives. The final consonant in syllables of intermediate vowel duration was more often perceived as voiced when F0 was falling than when F0 was monotone. In Experiment 3, we examined the F0 contours produced by eight talkers before postvocalic stop consonants and fricatives in natural speech for minimal pairs of words differing in voicing. The amount of change of F0 over the vowel was no greater before voiced than voiceless consonants, suggesting that the earlier perceptual effects cannot be explained by appealing to regularities observed in the production of F0 contours in vowels preceding postvocalic consonants.