Popular induction: When is consensus information informative?1

An experiment was conducted in which information regarding a target persons evaluation of a target object was presented either in written form or via video tape, and information regarding the evaluations of four other people was also presented either in written form or via video tape. The results indicated that the effect of consensus on both person and object attribution was significantly weaker when the target-person information was video taped (concrete) and the other-people information was written (abstract) than in the other three conditions created by the combination of the two informational variables. It is argued that, in contrast to earlier speculation in the literature, type of consensus and its mode of presentation represent conceptually orthogonal dimensions. Further research is urged to map out the boundary conditions of consensus information; it is demonstrated that current work has largely concentrated upon only a portion of this attributional domain due to the prevalent confounding of these two independent dimensions.     

Role of the hippocampus in blocking and conditioned inhibition of the rabbit's nictitating membrane response.

Bilateral aspiration of the dorsal hippocampus produced a disrupttion of blocking of the rabbit's nictitating membrane response in Kamin's two-stage paradigm (Experiment 1) but had no effect on the formation of a Pavlovian conditioned inhibitor (Experiment 2). The results of Experiment 1 indicated that normal animals and those with cortical lesions given conditioning to a light-plus-tone conditioned stimulus (CS) gave conditioned responses (CRs) to both the light and the tone during nonreinforced presentations of each (test phase). If, however, compound conditioning was preceded by tone acquisition, only the tone elicited a CR during testing; that is, blocking was observed. In rabbits with hippocampal lesions, however, CRs were given to both the light and the tone during testing whether or not compound conditioning was preceded by tone acquisition. The data from Experiment 2 showed that rabbits with hippocampal lesions could discriminate as well as normal rabbits and those with cortical lesions between a light (CS+) and light plus tone (CS-). In addition, when the inhibitory tone was subsequently paired with the unconditioned stimulus in retardation testing, animals in all three lesion conditions acquired the CR at the same rate. Thus, it appears that hippocampal lesions do not disrupt conditioned inhibition. The results of these experiments were taken as support for the view that the hippocampus is responsible for "tuning out" stimuli that have no adaptive value to the organism.     

Attenuation of age-related conditioning deficits in humans by extension of the interstimulus interval

Young (17-22 years) and older (61-86 years) persons underwent classical conditioning of the eye-blink response to a tone conditioned stimulus (CS) and an airpuff unconditioned stimulus (UCS) at 1 of 3 interstimulus intervals (ISIs; 400, 650, and 900 ms). As in a previous study, older subjects conditioned more slowly and emitted fewer conditioned responses at the optimal 400-ms ISI. At longer ISIs, however, this age-related disruption of classical conditioning was attenuated. These differences in conditioning were not due to nonassociative factors, such as sensitivity to the tone CS or airpuff UCS or to differences in spontaneous blink rate, nor were they due to differences in general cognitive abilities. The results are discussed in terms of the role of temporal relationships between stimuli in conditioning across the life span.     

A hot new way to measure aggression: Hot sauce allocation

Laboratory experiments investigating aggressive behavior have operationalized and assessed aggression in a variety of ways; however, these measures are often problematic because they do not create a situation in which participants perceive potential for real harm to come to the target, there is a risk of actual harm to the target, or they are too familiar to participants. To overcome these limitations, we developed a new method for measuring aggression, specifically, the amount of hot sauce administered to a target known to dislike spicy foods. We summarize a series of experiments assessing theory‐based hypotheses regarding aggression in which this measure is employed. We then briefly consider the strengths and limitations of this new measure. Aggr. Behav. 25:331–348, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Mathematical Intuition Vs. Mathematical Monsters*

Geometrical and physical intuition, both untutored andcultivated, is ubiquitous in the research, teaching,and development of mathematics. A number ofmathematical ``monsters', or pathological objects, havebeen produced which – according to somemathematicians – seriously challenge the reliability ofintuition. We examine several famous geometrical,topological and set-theoretical examples of suchmonsters in order to see to what extent, if at all,intuition is undermined in its everyday roles.     

Can Temperament Identify Affectively Ill Patients Who Engage in Lethal or Near‐Lethal Suicidal Behavior? A 14‐Year Prospective Study

Among affectively ill patients followed naturalistically for up to 14 years, 36 committed suicide, 120 attempted suicide, and 373 had no recorded suicide attempt. Comparing these three groups on clinical and intake personality revealed that suicide completed within 12 months was predicted by clinical but not personality variables, and suicide beyond 12 months was predicted by newly derived temperament factors, not clinical variables. Attempters and completers shared core characteristics: previous attempts, impulsivity, substance abuse, and psychic turmoil within a cycling/mixed bipolar disorder. Such temperament attributes as impulsivity and assertiveness were the best prospective predictors of completed suicides beyond 12 months with a sensitivity level of 74% and specificity level of 82%.     

Psychoanalytic training experience and postgraduate professional development: A survey of six decades of graduate analysts

This exploratory study explored the training and post‐training experience of graduates of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. All living graduates of the past six decades were invited to complete a survey that addressed their training analysis, classroom work, supervision and other training experiences as well as their degree of post‐graduation involvement in teaching, supervising, study groups and other professional endeavors. They were also asked to rate their sense of themselves as psychoanalysts and their satisfaction with their analytic career. Further, they were encouraged to provide spontaneous narrative data. Our findings contribute to the current understanding of the careers of psychoanalysts – including that there is a difference in generational cohorts regarding professional satisfaction, identification as an analyst, and experience of training. We also found that there are no real differences between analysts who do and do not have analytic patients on some important variables: supporting analysis as a treatment method, identifying oneself professionally with psychoanalysis, and disillusionment with psychoanalysis – which is consistent with other studies. Also discovered were differences between male and female analysts' perception of certain aspects of their training.     

Holistic Facial Composite Construction and Subsequent Lineup Identification Accuracy: Comparing Adults and Children

When the police have no suspect, they may ask an eyewitness to construct a facial composite of that suspect from memory. Faces are primarily processed holistically, and recently developed computerized holistic facial composite systems (e.g., EFIT-V) have been designed to match these processes. The reported research compared children aged 6–11 years with adults on their ability to construct a recognizable EFIT-V composite. Adult constructor's EFIT-Vs received significantly higher composite-suspect likeness ratings from assessors than children's, although there were some notable exceptions. In comparison to adults, the child constructors also overestimated the composite-suspect likeness of their own EFIT-Vs. In a second phase, there were no differences between adult controls and constructors in correct identification rates from video lineups. However, correct suspect identification rates by child constructors were lower than those of child controls, suggesting that a child's memory for the suspect can be adversely influenced by composite construction. Nevertheless, all child constructors coped with the demands of the EFIT-V system, and the implications for research, theory, and the criminal justice system practice are discussed.     

Understanding autism: how family therapists can support parents of children with autism spectrum disorders

The number of children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder has increased dramatically in the last 20 years. Parents of children with autism experience a variety of chronic and acute stressors that can erode marital satisfaction and family functioning. Family therapists are well-suited to help parents stay connected to each other as they create a "new normal." However, family therapists need updated information about autism, and they need to understand how family therapy can help parents of children with autism. Because having a child with autism affects multiple domains of family life, this paper explores how family therapists can utilize an integrative approach with parents, enabling them to flexibly work with the domains of action, meaning, and emotion.