Is masked neighbor priming inhibitory? Evidence using the incremental priming technique

To investigate neighbor effects in visual word recognition, the masked priming technique holds considerable advantages over unprimed methods, because a target word is used as its own control. However, inhibitory neighbor effects obtained with masked priming are still open for different interpretations, because the primes differ across conditions. Given this theoretical problem, it is useful to investigate neighbor priming effects using a prime as its own control. This option is available in the incremental priming technique (Jacobs, Grainger, & Ferrand, 1995), in which a within-condition baseline is created by comparing the response times (RTs) to a target when it is primed at different prime durations. In this study, we examined masked neighbor priming using this technique. Both the traditional and the within-condition baseline indicated that masked neighbor word priming is inhibitory in nature. The results are discussed in terms of current theories of visual word recognition.     

Statistical contingency has a different impact on preparation judgements than on causal judgements

Previous studies on causal learning showed that judgements about the causal effect of a cue on an outcome depend on the statistical contingency between the presence of the cue and the outcome. We demonstrate that statistical contingency has a different impact on preparation judgements (i.e., judgements about the usefulness of responses that allow one to prepare for the outcome). Our results suggest that preparation judgements primarily reflect information about the outcome in prior situations that are identical to the test situation. These findings also add to previous evidence showing that people can use contingency information in a flexible manner depending on the type of test question.     

Stability and change in work values among male and female nurses and engineers

Gender related changes of work values were analyzed in a longitudinal questionnaire study of 173 male and 48 female engineers and 353 female and 31 male nurses at three measurement occasions covering about four and half years from the end of their vocational education. At all occasions, Social relations were rated as more important by women than by men and Altruism was given higher ratings by the nurses than by the engineers. Within both occupations women's mean Altruism ratings were higher than men's mean ratings, and in all groups except male engineers the mean ratings dropped between the three occasions. Women's ratings of Benefits and career and Influence were strengthened in both occupations, thereby eliminating an initial gender difference. The stability of work values is discussed in terms of challenges and norms in working life.     

Sympathy for the Devil: Evidence That Reminding Whites of Their Mortality Promotes More Favorable Reactions to White Racists

Terror management research has often shown that after reminders of mortality, people show greater investment in and support for groups to which they belong. The question for the present research was whether or not this would extend to Euro American investment in their identification as White. Although it seemed unlikely that White participants would directly exhibit increased identification as Whites, we hypothesized that mortality salience would increase sympathy for other Whites who expressed racial pride or favoritism toward Whites. In support of the hypothesis, a White person expressing pride in his race was viewed by White participants as particularly racist relative to a Black person who does so in Study 1, but was deemed less racist after White participants were reminded of their own mortality in Study 2. Similarly, in Study 3, White participants rated an explicitly racist White employer as less racist when they were reminded beforehand of their own mortality. The results were discussed in terms of implications for affiliation with racist ideologies and terror management defenses.     

An approach ton-mode components analysis

As an extension of Lastovicka's four-mode components analysis ann-mode components analysis is developed. Using a convenient notation, both a canonical and a least squares solution are derived. The relation between both solutions and their computational aspects are discussed.The first draft was written while Wansbeek was with the Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics. We thank Jaap Verhees for performing the computations and for many discussions on the subject, John Lastovicka for kindly making available his data to us, and the Editor, the referees, Jeroen Weesie and Pieter Kroonenberg for their useful comments.     

A survey of university counselling in the united kingdom and some observations on evaluation

Universities were surveyed about their counselling services during 1987 using a postal questionnaire. Information is presented from 44 universities and includes the extent of counselling provision in relation to the number of students, the staffing and accountability of the services, the needs of the clients and how they are met, and some theoretical and professional concerns mentioned by the counsellors. Finally, some observations are made on the need for more systematic evaluation of the services.     

The influence of height and key on the perceptual similarity of transposed melodies

In two experiments, the perceptual similarity between a strong tonal melody and various transpositions was investigated using a paradigm in which listeners compared the perceptual similarity of a melody and its transposition with that of the same melody and another transposition. The paradigm has the advantage that it provides a direct judgment regarding the similarity of transposed melodies. The experimental results indicate that the perceptual similarity of a strong tonal melody and its transposition is mainly determined by two factors: (1) the distance on the height dimension between the original melody and its transposition (pitch distance), and (2) the distance between keys as inferred from the circle of fifths (key distance). The major part of the variance is explained by the factor pitch distance, whereas key distance explains only a small part.     

Can Philosophy be International?

There is a difference between internationalism in politics and philosophy. This paper takes the position that internationalism is possible in politics but not in philosophy, although it is an objective worth pursuing in both domains.     

A procedure for evaluating portable heart monitors

Portable heart rate monitors are potentially useful for regulating exercise intensity. This paper describes procedures to evaluate these devices while subjects are resting, cycling, or running. Of the five monitors tested, all performed reasonably well while subjects were at rest; however, with one exception, performance deteriorated when the monitors were used during exercise. Even so, depending on the level of accuracy required, some of the monitors remained useful during cycling, but only one monitor was consistently accurate while subjects were running. This evidence indicates that, before selecting a particular monitor, potential users of such equipment should carefully consider many things, including the circumstances under which the equipment will be employed. The procedures reported in this paper should be generally useful in evaluating the performance of a variety of devices for monitoring heart rate.