Effect of distance instructions on size judgments

The proposition that in a reduced-cue setting subjects could use cognitive information about an object's distance to make accurate judgments of its size was tested. An improved paradigm was used to determine the effects of distance instructions per se. This paradigm also allowed independent tests of the effectiveness of cue reduction. The data indicated that cue reduction was successful and that the specific distance tendency governed size judgments when there were no distance instructions. When distance instructions were given, they produced size judgments in precisely the ratio predicted by the size-distance invariance hypothesis. However, there was a large constant error, which reflects a tendency of college students to overestimate the amount of distance signified by a verbal instruction. Hence, cognitive information in the form of verbal distance instructions has precise effects on size judgments, but the latter are not veridical, even in the absence of anchor effects from the specific distance tendency and residual perceptual cues.     

The Sentence Completion Method--recent research

The present article reviews recent work with the Sentence Completion Method (SCM) and examines the method's effectiveness as an assessment instrument. Studies in which the SCM was employed in testing hypotheses concerning personality and its development, as well as reports that deal with maladaptive functioning and psychopathology are covered. Also reviewed is some work that investigates the nature of the method itself. The overall conclusion is that the SCM is flexible, readily adaptable in various research and clinical settings, and to be recommended for continuing use and application.     

Interpersonal affect in Thematic Apperception Test responses: a scoring system

Affect toward "parental," "spousal," and "nonspousal" figures in TAT responses was evaluated. Positive and negative scores ranging from +2 to -2 were assigned to each story. Norms were based on frequent responses stimulus-pull and quality Of responses Test-retest rendered .88 similarity in affect and 86% in orientational others categories. Interscorer's agreements on affective scores ranged from .93 to .97 and interpersonal categories ranged from 96% to 98%. Higher positive "spousal" than "parental" and "nonspousal" affect was hypothesized to associate with marital adjustment. Thirty married Caucasian middle-class couples were individually interviewed. Cards 1, 2, 4, 6 GF, 10 13 FM and 16 as well as the Dyadic. Adjustment Scale were administered. Results, significant at .001 level, were discussed in terms of development in interpersonal choices.     

Further evaluation of morphine aversion: maintenance of a taste aversion using a low, nonaversive morphine dose

Previously, in an investigation of morphine-conditioned taste aversion (CTA), we found that limited preexposure to a low, nonaversive (non-CTA-inducing) dose of morphine (2.5 mg/kg) was as effective as preexposure to a higher, CTA-inducing dose (15 mg/kg) in blocking the formation of a subsequent morphine CTA. In the present study, we examined the capacity of this low, 2.5-mg/kg morphine dose to maintain a CTA initially induced by the 15-mg/kg dose. A standard CTA procedure was used. Results indicated that rats given three initial taste-drug pairings with 15 mg/kg morphine followed on subsequent pairing days by treatment with the low, non-CTA-inducing, 2.5-mg/kg dose continued to exhibit a strong CTA over 8 pairing days. A similar pattern was observed for animals continuing to receive taste-drug pairings with the 15-mg/kg dose. Animals receiving only one taste-drug pairing with the 15-mg/kg dose, followed on subsequent pairing days by 2.5-mg/kg conditioning, failed to show such a pattern of CTA. An intermediate CTA pattern was seen with animals conditioned with 15, 10, 5, and repeated 2.5-mg/kg doses over consecutive pairing days. These data suggest that exposure to a low dose of morphine, with no apparent CTA-inducing properties, is sufficient to maintain a previously established morphine taste aversion. Potential implications for understanding the apparent discriminative complexity of morphine's motivational properties are discussed.     

Masculinity-femininity and perceptual style on the Circles Test

In relation to the open perceptual style characteristics a classification of responses to the Torrance's Circles Test provided a measure of psychosexual identification. To the initial stimulus inner-spaced and outer-spaced responses can be interpreted as feminine and masculine styles of information processing. The observations were validated by the Mf scale of the MMPI. Masculine women gave fewer inner-space responses than masculine men, and feminine men gave more inner-space responses than feminine women.     

Family and psychosocial predictors of obsessive compulsive disorder in a community sample of young adolescents

A two-stage epidemiologic study conducted between 1986 and 1988 in the southeastern United States investigated family and psychosocial predictors of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and subclinical OCD in young adolescents. In the first stage, a life-event schedule and a family adaptability and cohesion scale were administered to a community sample of 3,283 adolescents. In stage two, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia in School Age Children and the Children's Global Assessment Scale were administered to 488 mother-child pairs. In multivariable models family cohesion was the only significant correlate of OCD (odds ratio=0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.91–0.98). Gender, race, age, socioeconomic status, guardian status, adaptability, undesirable life events and desirable life events were not found to be significant predictors of OCD in models adjusting for cohesion. Note of the above variables were significantly associated with subclinical OCD. However, separate analyses of the 41 individual life events indicated seven specific events were significantly associated with OCD or subclinical OCD. These findings are at odds with the theory that overinvolvement of family members is a risk factor for OCD, though an association with overly rigid family structure cannot be eliminated based on these data. Further exploration of family characteristics is warranted.     

The role of client choice and target selection in self-management therapy for depression in older adults

In a study designed to maximize the effectiveness of treatment by allowing participants to select the target of treatment, 40 depressed older adults were randomly assigned to a waiting-list control condition or to conditions in which the target of treatment was either chosen or assigned. All participants received self-management therapy and the choice was between changing behavior or changing cognition. It was found that individually administered self-management therapy was effective in treating depression for older adults. There were no differences in outcome between versions of self-management therapy that targeted behavioral or cognitive change. Among those who completed treatment, there were no differences in outcome between those who received a choice and those who did not. Individuals who were given a choice of treatment options, however, were less likely to drop out of treatment prematurely.     

Vocal disinhibition (grunting) does not increase dead lift force in college athletes or nonathletes.

31 17-35 yr.-old men (15 college athletes and 16 nonathletes) performed three dead-lifts with and three without grunting, the order of which was randomly assigned. No differences were found across the grunting trials and grunting did not affect maximal force production. Grunting does not appear to increase maximum force production significantly during a large muscle group, force output activity (isometric dead lift).     

Information transmission with a multifinger tactual display

In this work, the tactual information transmission capabilities of a tactual display designed to provide stimulation along a continuum from kinesthetic movements to cutaneous vibrations are assessed. The display is capable of delivering arbitrary waveforms to three digits (thumb, index, and middle finger) within an amplitude range from absolute detection threshold to about 50 dB sensation level and a frequency range from dc to above 300 Hz. Stimulus sets were designed at each of three signal durations (125, 250, and 500 msec) by combining salient attributes, such as frequency (further divided into low, middle, and high regions), amplitude, direction of motion, and finger location. Estimated static information transfer (IT) was 6.5 bits at 500 mseC., 6.4 bits at 250 mseC., and 5.6 bits at 125 msec. Estimates of IT rate were derived from identification experiments in which the subject’s task was to identify the middle stimulus in a sequence of three stimuli randomly selected from a given stimulus set. On the basis of the extrapolations from these IT measurements to continuous streams, the IT rate was estimated to be about 12 bits/seC., which is roughly the same as that achieved by Tadoma users in tactual speech communication.