The display and animation of full-color images in real time on the Macintosh computer

Techniques for displaying and animating full-color and gray-scale images in real time are illustrated with Pascal examples. The Palette Manager procedures included in the Macintosh Toolbox are used to circumvent the speed limitations inherent in drawing and redrawing images on the Macintosh’s video display. With the technique of palette animation, images of arbitrary size and complexity can be displayed easily and animated at the scan rate of the video monitor. The routines described here are based on Toolbox procedures available on any Macintosh with color video capabilities.     

Children's attributions for Peers' positive behaviors: Social status differences

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between aggressive-rejected and nonaggressive-cooperative boys in their attributions for peers'positive behaviors. In individual interviews, 27 aggressive-rejected and 27 nonaggressive-accepted boys were presented with 10 vignettes and a real-life situation in which a peer's action resulted in a favorable outcome for another peer or for the subject. Subjects' attributions for the peer's behavior were elicited with open-ended probes. Analysis of variance indicated that the groups did not differ in their tendency to infer positive intentions in the hypothetical story condition. In the real-life situation, aggressive-rejected boys were less likely to infer positive intentionality than were the nonaggressive-accepted boys. Boys' responses across the two conditions (hypothetical and real life) were moderately consistent.     

Sex-dependent habituation to novelty in rats

Male and female rats were familiarized with one-half of an exploration box for 30 or 60 minutes. When later tested, females showed higher preferences for the other novel half than males. Females also showed higher levels of rearing and ambulation. No sex differences were evident for grooming, freezing or defecation. The results were interpreted as females having habituated to the forced-exposure novelty of the familiar half of the apparatus more rapidly than males when the familiarization period was relatively short. With a longer period, males would have had more time to reach a similar level of habituation to that attained by females familiarized for 30 minutes. Relationships between novelty preferences and both rearing and ambulation as indices of exploration were also discussed in the light of significant correlations for males only.     

Interim Managers: Distinguishing Personality Characteristics of Managers on Short-term Contracts

The use of interim managers by companies is increasing, and reasons for this trend are discussed. A study is reported in which the normative personality make-up of a group of interim managers is compared with that of a general sample of UK managers. Ninety-four interim managers completed the revised PA Preference Inventory (PAPI-N) and the results are compared with those from a general UK managerial sample. Statistically significant differences are reported for 12 out of 20 scales, with nine of the effect sizes ≥ 0.5. Results are also compared with a priori job expert predictions. Of nine predictions that interim managers would differ from the general management norm, seven are consistent with the statistical findings. Practical and methodological implications of the findings, and their relation to the ‘Big Five’, are discussed, together with broader implications for the study of workers in new and emerging forms of employment. The findings are also interpreted in the particular context of interim management roles.     

Key pecking during extinction after intermittent or continuous reinforcement as a function of the number of reinforcers delivered during training.

Key pecking by 7 pigeons was established and maintained on a multiple variable-ratio variable-ratio (VR) schedule of food presentation. The schedule in one of the components was then changed to fixed-ratio (FR) 1 for a predetermined number of reinforcers. Both components were then changed to extinction (i.e., multiple extinction, extinction). This sequence was repeated a different number of times for each pigeon to determine the relation between the number of reinforcers delivered during each component of the multiple VR FR 1 schedule and the number of responses during extinction. For most pigeons, there were fewer responses during extinction in the presence of a stimulus recently correlated with FR 1, regardless of the number of reinforcers received. The ratio of the total responses in extinction in the former VR component to the total responses in the former FR 1 component increased as the number of reinforcers delivered during each component of the multiple schedule increased. Within-subject replications of the partial-reinforcement extinction effect generally occurred, and there were no overall reductions in the number of responses in extinction with repeated exposures to extinction.     

ONE-SHOT VIEW INVARIANCE IN A MOVING WORLD

Abstract— How do people recognize an object in a novel orientation? Psychophysical and neurophvsiological studies have suggested that extensive practice is required before observers can recognize an object that has been rotated to a new orientation Because object orientation frequently vanes with object movement, we examined whether observers might more readily recognize a moving object in a new orientation Results from a priming study indicate that motion significantly arid readily enhances the recognition of new object orientations when those orientations fait within the path of the motion That is motion promotes view-invariant object recognition without practice     

Behavior change in children at a therapeutic summer camp as a function of feedback and individual versus group contingencies

Two contigency systems, individual and group, were evaluated for their effects on children's behavior during small group meetings. Forty-eight children, ages 8 through 14, attended a 7-week residential camp program operated on a token economy system. Ratings of the campers' behavior were made by the counselors on a 5-point rating scale at the daily meetings. Each camper received both contingency programs, in counterbalanced order. Data were gathered during baseline, two feedback and two treatment phases. An analysis of variance for repeated measures was performed on the mean weekly camper scores. The two systems were equally effective in significantly increasing the amount of desirable behavior, and there was no effect on behavior due to feedback alone. The results are discussed in terms of advantages and disadvantages of each type of contingency system, with some suggestions made regarding areas of further investigation.     

Cognitions and depressive symptoms among ethnic minority adolescents

Cognitive models have guided effective intervention strategies in the treatment of depression. However, little is known about the cognitive model's relevance in different cultural ethnic groups in the United States. This study examines the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among cognitive variables and depressive symptoms among African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic adolescents in the United States. Community adolescents (N = 450) ages 14-18 years (African American n = 79; Caucasian n = 273; Hispanic n = 98) provided information regarding their depressive symptoms and cognitions at two surveys, 6 months apart. Self-efficacy, cognitive errors, and hopelessness were associated with concurrent depressive symptoms at baseline. In addition, cognitive errors at baseline, controlling for baseline depressive symptoms and the occurrence of stressful events, predicted depressive symptoms at follow-up. Ethnic differences disappeared when parent education level was controlled. Our findings demonstrate support for the cognitive model of depression across ethnic groups. The importance of controlling for social class when examining ethnic differences in psychological variables is highlighted by our findings.