Implicit visual learning and the expression of learning

Although the existence of implicit motor learning is now widely accepted, the findings concerning perceptual implicit learning are ambiguous. Some researchers have observed perceptual learning whereas other authors have not. The review of the literature provides different reasons to explain this ambiguous picture, such as differences in the underlying learning processes, selective attention, or differences in the difficulty to express this knowledge. In three experiments, we investigated implicit visual learning within the original serial reaction time task. We used different response devices (keyboard vs. mouse) in order to manipulate selective attention towards response dimensions. Results showed that visual and motor sequence learning differed in terms of RT-benefits, but not in terms of the amount of knowledge assessed after training. Furthermore, visual sequence learning was modulated by selective attention. However, the findings of all three experiments suggest that selective attention did not alter implicit but rather explicit learning processes.     

Subjective, Autonomic, and Endocrine Reactivity during Social Stress in Children with Social Phobia

Reports of exaggerated anxiety and physiological hyperreactivity to social-evaluative situations are characteristic of childhood social phobia (SP). However, laboratory research on subjective, autonomic and endocrine functioning in childhood SP is scarce, inconsistent and limited by small sample sizes, limited breadth of measurements, and the use of non-standardized stressor tasks. We exposed 8–12-year-old children with DSM-IV SP (n = 41) and matched healthy control children (HC; n = 40) to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) while measuring subjective anxiety, heart rate (HR) and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) as well as salivary cortisol. The SP children showed heightened reactivity to the TSST-C on subjective anxiety compared to the HC children but not a heightened reactivity in HR, sAA or cortisol. However, the SP children showed chronically elevated HR levels throughout the whole laboratory session. Whereas subjective anxiety seems to respond specifically to social-evaluative stress in childhood SP, HR levels may be chronically elevated suggesting a more generalized autonomic hyperreactivity.     

Notational modulation of the SNARC and the MARC (linguistic markedness of response codes) effect

Number magnitude and number parity representation are fundamental number representations. However, the representation of parity is much less understood than that of magnitude: Therefore, we investigated it by examining the (new) Linguistic Markedness of Response Codes (MARC) effect: Responses are facilitated if stimuli and response codes both have the same (congruent) linguistic markedness (even-right, odd-left) while incongruent conditions (even-left, odd-right) lead to interference. We examined systematically the MARC (for parity) and the Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC; for magnitude) effect for different number notations (positive Arabic, negative Arabic, number words) and with different methods of data analysis. In a parity judgement task, the SNARCeffect indicating a magnitude representation was replicated for all notations except for negative numerals. The MARCeffect was found for number words in all analyses, but less consistently for the other notations. In contrast, a correlational analysis of the reaction time (RT) data, as suggested by Sternberg (1969) using a nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) procedure, produced a clear association of parity and response code for all notations (MARCeffect), but little evidence of the SNARCeffect. We discuss the extent to which these notation-specific MARC and SNARC effects constrain current models of number processing and elaborate on the possible functional locus of the MARC effect.     

Parental relationships and coping with life stress

Abstract The primary goal of this investigation was to explore how the quality of parent-student relationships relates to coping style by examining multiple aspects of this relationship-including support and conflict-and by examining the contribution that both parents' and students' perceptions of their relationship make to students' coping reports. We found that perceptions of conflict and depth in the parent-child relationship were each associated with different styles of coping. Moreover, parents' and students' perceptions each accounted for unique variance in students' coping reports. Greater perceived depth (both parent and student reports) predicted higher problem-focused scores, while students' perceptions of conflict predicted higher emotion-focused coping scores. Specific support provisions reported by students and parents also related differentially to the specific coping styles. Finally, the extent to which parents and students reported coping in a similar fashion was predicted by the quality of their relationship.     

The effects of appraisal system redesign on perceptions of and satisfaction with performance appraisal: A quasi-experiment

A case study investigation of the effects of a change in a performance appraisal system was described. The nature of a recently implemented appraisal system was briefly outlined. Five hundred forty-seven employees of a 300-bed hospital returned mail questionnaires which asked them to respond to questions about the hospital's performance appraisal system. Two groups of employees were formed on the basis of their experience or lack of experience with the new system. It was found that the employees who had experience with the new system had more favorable perceptions of their supervisors' appraisal behaviors and were more satisfied with the appraisal process.     

Über Wechselwirkungen zwischen farbigen und neutralen Feldern

Zusammenfassung Sieht man von den zuletzt mitgeteilten Beobachtungen über den Einfluß der figuralen Feldgestaltung auf Kontrasterscheinungen ab, so lassen sich die Ergebnisse aller vorstellend angeführten Untersuchungen der letzten Jahrzehnte auf den Einfluß weniger Faktoren zurückführen.Theoretisch bedeutungsvoll ist es, daß die Abhängigkeit von den 3 Faktoren Infeld-Weißwert, Helligkeitsabstand zwischen den Feldern und Infeld-Helligkeit nicht allein für Farbschwellen und für stärker gesättigte Farbfelder auf neutralen Umfeldern, sondern in gleicher Weise für Helligkeitsschwellen bei neutralen Feldzusammenstellungen und für Farbfelder auf gleichfarbigem Grund als maßgebend erscheint. Die Annahme, es handle sich bei den zu Anfang dieses Berichtes hervorgehobenen Gesetzmäßigkeiten nur um Wechselwirkungen zwischen farbigen und neutralen Feldern, erweist sich somit als irrig.Zur Erklärung der gesamten, jetzt festgestellten Erscheinungen genügen die bisher vorliegenden, nur für Einzelergebnisse ausreichenden theoretischen Annahmen nicht. Vor allem werden die herrschenden Theorien der Bedeutung des Helligkeitsabstandes zwischen den Feldern für objektive Lichtreize und Kontrast nicht gerecht.Die Ergebnisse über den Einfluß des Helligkeitsabstandes und die wenigen bisher vorliegenden Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen über den Einfluß der Größenverhältnisse der Felder auf Schwellenhöhe und Kontrast legen vielmehr theoretische Annahmen auf gestaltpsychologischer Grundlage nahe und zwar 1. in bezug auf die Helligkeitsstruktur und 2. auf die Struktur in figuraler Hinsicht, welch letzterer Faktor zudem in den angeführten Versuchen von Wundt, Wertheimer, Benussi, Joh. Köhler und Koffka besonders klar hervortritt.