Reinforcement probability and ordinal position of response in fixed-interval schedules

Four rats pressed levers and received food pellets under fixed-interval reinforcement schedules of 20, 60, and 180 seconds. The number of responses in each interval was recorded. From these data, the probability of reinforcement was determined as a function of response count. These functions were generally increasing. This finding is consistent with previous suggestions that increasing response rates within fixed intervals may be a function of response count in addition to or instead of elapsed or remaining time.     

Books received

Analytical Psychology
Main, Roderick (ed.). Jung on Synchronicity and the Paranormal
Robertson, Robin. Your Shadow
Schoenl, William (ed.). Major Issues in the Life and Work of C. G. Jung
Psychoanalysis
König, Karl. Self-Analysis for Analysts
Volkan, V. D. & Ast, G.. Siblings in the Unconscious and Psychopathology
Carlson, Kathie. Life's Daughter/Death's Bride
Fromm, Erika & Nash, Michael. Psychoanalysis and Hypnosis
Gedo, John E. Spleen and Nostalgia – A Life and Work in Psychoanalysis
Grubrich-Simitis, Ilse. Early Freud and Late Freud
Molino, Anthony (ed.). Freely Associated
Quinodoz, Danielle. Emotional Vertigo – Between Anxiety and Pleasure
Serrano, Miguel. C. G. Jung and Hermann Hesse – A Record of Two Friendships
Taylor, Charles H. & Finley, Patricia. Images of the Journey in Dante's Divine Comedy     

Perelman's rhetorical foundation of philosophy

This article is a Gadamer-Perelman's debate. The author points out the limits of the gadamerian's hermeneutic conception of philosophy and criticizes this conception from Perelman's new rhetoric point of view. Instead of speaking of truth as an ontological originary experience, the rhetorical foundation of philosophy allows us to say that in philosophy the important is the contrastation and the confrontation of criteria and that, for that reason, philosophy is above all characterized by discussibility.Philosophical argumentation, like juridical argumentation, constitutes applications, to different domains, of a theory of argumentation which we consider as a new rhetoric.By identifying this theory with the general theory of persuasive speech, which seeks to obtain the intellectual as well as the emotional adherence of an audience, no matter which, we state that all speeches which do not aspire to an impersonal validity proceed from rhetoric. (Ch. Perelman,L'empire rhétorique, p. 177).But, if one does not admit that the philosophical thesis may be founded on evident intuitions, it will be necessary to reccur to argumentative technics to make them prevail. The new rhetoric then becomes the indispensable tool of philosophy. (Ch. Perelman,L'empire rhétorique, p. 21).     

Position of compression garment around the knee affects healthy adults’ knee joint position sense acuity

Athletes use compression garments (CGs) to improve sport performance, accelerate rehabilitation from knee injuries or to enhance joint position sense (JPS). The position of CGs around the knee may affect knee JPS but the data is inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of CG position on healthy adults’ knee joint position sense acuity. In a counterbalanced, single-blinded study, 16 healthy young adults (8 female, age: 25.5 y) performed an active knee joint position-matching task with and without (CON) a below-knee (BK), above-knee (AK), or whole-knee (WK) CG in a randomized order on the dominant (CompDom) or the non-dominant leg (CompNon-Dom). We also determined the magnitude of tissue compression by measuring anatomical thigh and calf cross sectional area (CSA) in standing using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Subjects had less absolute repositioning error (magnitude of error) in BK compared with CON condition. On the other hand, the analysis of the direction of error (constant error) revealed that in each condition subjects tended to underestimate the target position (AK, BK and CON: 75%; WK: 94%). In WK condition there was a significantly larger negative error (−2.7 ± 3.4) as compared with CON (−1.6 ± 3.7) condition. There also was less variable error, in WK compared to BK and CON conditions, indicating less variability in their position sense using a WK CG, regardless of the underestimation. CG reduced thigh CSA by 4.5 cm² or 3% and calf CSA by Δ1.3 cm² or 1%. The position of CG relative to the knee modifies knee JPS. The findings helps us better understand how the application of a WK CG may support athletic activities.     

A position of influence: Variation in offender identification rates by location in a lineup

Researchers have identified several threats to the validity of the use of the lineup as a test of true recognition. One concern is related to the structure of the simultaneous lineup. It is argued here that a simultaneous presentation of an array nonetheless requires the viewer to undertake sequential processing of the items in the array. This sequential pattern is unlikely to be random and therefore the position of a culprit in a lineup may have a significant effect on the accuracy of witness selection. A simulated crime (snatching of a handbag) was shown to a convenience sample of 84 undergraduates aged between 18–23 years. In 84 subsequent live lineups, the offender was placed with four foils. He was positioned on the far left (position 1) in 42 cases (50%), and in 14 cases respectively in positions 3 (centre), 4 (centre right) and 5 (extreme right). A very strong association was found between position and correct identification with position 1 placement leading to a significantly lower proportion of correct identification (7.1%) compared to position 3 (50.0%), position 4 (64.3%), and position 5 (21.4%). Steps to remedy possible positional biases are considered. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

系列包含的项目数、项目之间的间隔时间与系列位置效应

以中国汉字为材料,考察系列包含的项目数、项目之间的时间间隔与系列位置曲线不同部分记忆性质分化的关系。结果表明,(1)提取过程的重要性。(2)在包含11个项目、并且项目之间的时间间隔为400毫秒的系列中,系列位置曲线的首因部分表现为联想记忆的性质,是依赖于线索的提取;近因部分表现为绝对记忆的性质,是依赖于记忆痕迹的提取。(3)系列位置曲线不同部分记忆性质的分化,于系列包含的项目数和项目之间的间隔时间有关,结果体现出这两个因素的交互作用。     

汉字词在不同方位与不同排列组合条件下对念读速度与准确性的影响

本研究探讨了汉字词在不同方位与不同排列组合条件下对念读速度与准确性的影响.实验结果表明逆意排列的汉字词处于不同方位(正位、左右倾斜90°、倒位),对汉字词的念读速度产生明显影响.汉字词处于正位时,念读速度最快;其次是处于左斜与右斜90°;对汉字词的念读速度最慢而准确性最低是处于倒位时(汉字词颠倒).汉字词无论是顺意排列或是逆意排列,正位结果均明显优于倒位结果;但汉字词在倒位顺意排列条件下,结果优于正位逆意排列的结果,这表明,字词间的意义联系的作用大于字词方位的作用.     

Power and Legitimizing Ideologies in Hierarchy‐Enhancing vs. Hierarchy‐Attenuating Environments

According to social dominance theory, intergroup dynamics are strongly influenced by the social positions which individuals hold in society. Several studies suggest that holding a position of power can, sometimes automatically, generate negative attitudes and hostile behaviors toward subordinate social groups. However, at present, the studies carried out on these effects of power have not taken into account the influence of the normative context. Based on the distinction made by Sidanius and Pratto between “hierarchy‐enhancing” (HE) vs. “hierarchy‐attenuating” (HA) environments, this study examines if the effects of power on legitimizing cognitions vary as a function of the normative environment. A laboratory study and a study conducted in a natural environment confirm our hypothesis that individuals holding a powerful or dominant social role in a HE setting differ significantly from individuals holding an equally powerful role in a HA setting. The effects of power observed in past research probably resulted from studying power in hierarchy‐enhancing environments, but not in hierarchy‐attenuating ones.     

时序知觉中词义和位置的stroop效应

本文目的在于探讨时序知觉中是否存在词义与位置Stroop效应。通过时序知觉判断任务,使用中文汉字“先-后”刺激材料,让被试做出时序判断。对反应时的结果显示空间方位、词义位置的匹配关系和时间间隔均存在主效应,空间方位和词义位置匹配关系、空间方位和时间间隔、词义位置匹配关系和时间间隔均存在交互作用。上述结果提示人脑在时序知觉判断过程中存在词义和位置的Stroop效应,该效应可能与时序知觉加工机制有关。     

文字线索浏览方向、空间位置与移动光标对伪忽视的影响

采用线段平分任务,以无文字线索作为基线条件,考察文字线索的浏览方向、空间位置和移动光标对具有两种不同方向阅读经验的熟练双语者伪忽视的影响。结果发现,无文字线索条件下,光标从左往右方向移动时被试的判断偏向于线段中点的右侧,而从右往左移动时,偏向于线段中点的左侧。在有文字线索条件下发现,文字线索的浏览方向和空间位置的交互作用显著,简单效应检验显示文字线索的浏览方向和空间位置一致时伪忽视明显,不一致时伪忽视消失。结果表明,文字线索浏览方向、空间位置与移动光标能够影响伪忽视。伪忽视的存在和消失,不仅与眼球运动有关,还有与大脑两半球的激活水平有关。研究结果支持了视觉扫描假设和激活朝向假设。