Validation of the sensation scale,a measure of subjective physiological responses to alcohol

The Sensation Scale was originally constructed to measure the subjective experience of physiological changes following alcohol consumption. Reduction of the original scale of 31 variables on the basis of face validity resulted in six ‘factors’ comprising 26 variables and one ‘other’ factor. These sortings are shown to have good interrater reliability. Furthermore, evidence is presented from two experiments that five of the six factors discriminated between nonalcoholic male subjects who drank either a beverage containing a moderate dose of alcohol or a nonalcoholic beverage.     

Some types of stability in the study of students' work values

It is suggested the concept of “stability” in the study of work values has at least three facets: (1) hierarchical stability, (2) response pattern stability, and (3) factor stability. These three facets are investigated using a sample of 165 Australian students, assessed using a work values list initially in Grade 12 and then $\text{2}\text{1}\text{2}$ years later during which time all had engaged in full-time tertiary study. Of the 13 work values assessed only independence and intellectual stimulation increased in importance and surroundings decreased. Canonical correlation analysis revealed four significant response patterns which indicated that the same work value may sometimes be stable or changeable in combination with other work values. It was also found using factor analysis that two rotated principal components appeared stable over time. They were identified as an Intellectual Concern factor and People Concern factor. An Extrinsic Concern factor for subjects as high school students was found to differentiate into a Status/Power Concern factor and a Co-workers Concern factor by the time of the second assessment. A Freedom Concern factor found in the Grade 12 assessment was not discovered until $\text{2}\text{1}\text{2}$ years later. The results confirm the need for further theoretical and methodological refinement of the notion of stability in the study of work values.     

Developmental changes in children's use of semantic information in recall

Third and seventh graders (age 9 and 13 years) were randomly assigned to three instructional groups and engaged in a sort/recall task. The instructions emphasized either (a) recall of the items, (b) meaningful organization of the items, or (c) meaningful organization and recall of the items. Regardless of instruction, seventh graders sorted 20 unrelated items into semantically-based groupings and exhibited elevated levels of recall. Third graders instructed to group items to facilitate recall formed seemingly random groupings and recalled significantly fewer items than third graders instructed to make semantically-based groupings, even when some of these latter subjects were unaware of a subsequent recall trial. The results indicated that young children are capable of adult-like organizational strategies but are unaware of their relevance to recall performance or conditions under which organization might be an appropriate strategy.     

Developmental changes in infants' sensitivity to octave-band noises

Localization responses to octave-band noises with center frequencies at 200, 400, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 10,000 Hz were obtained from infants 6, 12, and 18 months of age. During an experimental trial, an octave-band noise was presented on one of two speakers located 45° to each side of the infant. A head turn to the noise (correct response) was rewarded by activating an animated toy on top of the speaker. The intensity of the noise was varied over trials (method of constant stimuli) to determine thresholds at each center frequency. Thresholds for the lower frequencies were approximately 5–8 db higher in the 6-month-old infants compared to the older infants. However, there were no consistent differences among groups at the higher frequencies. Infant thresholds were found to be 20–30 db higher than adult thresholds at the lower frequencies. At the higher frequencies thresholds for infants were approaching those of adults.     

Stochastic PERT networks as models of cognition: Derivation of the mean,variance, and distribution of reaction time using Order-of-Processing (OP) diagrams

It is frequently assumed that the mental activity which leads to a given response is made up of separable components or processes. One or more of the processes are assumed to contribute to the time required to respond. Computation of the mean, variance, and distribution of the reaction time is relatively straightforward when all processes are arranged in series or parallel. However, such is not the case when the processes have complex arrangements. A solution to a useful special case of the above problem is proposed. Specifically, it is shown that simple computations yield closed form expressions for the mean, variance, and distribution of reaction time when the processes can be arranged in a stochastic PERT network and when the durations of individual processes are sums of mutually independent, exponentially distributed random variables. The method of solution relies on the construction of an Order-of-Processing (OP) diagram from the original PERT network representation of behavior.     

The informational basis of social judgments: Memory for informative and uninformative arguments

This study investigates the encoding and retrieval of arguments in an opinion formation task. It is based on a model of opinion formation that partitions the latter process into initial encoding, elaborative encoding, integration, and decision. According to this model elaborative encoding depends on two factors: (i) the informativeness of the arguments and (ii) their thematic relatedness. Since it is reasonably well established that the likelihood of retrieving an argument is an increasing function of the amount of elaboration performed on it, the first hypothesis is straightforward, namely, that the memory for an argument will increase with its informativeness and with its thematic relatedness to other arguments. The second hypothesis assumes that by dint of their closer association with the decision, informative arguments occupy a more central position in the representation of an opinion than uninformative ones. This implies that an informative argument should be accessed and reported prior to an uninformative argument, even when differences in retrievability (i.e., probabilities of recall) are controlled. The findings were consistent with such an analysis.     

A path analysis model of psychosexuality in young women

Path analysis is employed to delineate the relationships among sexual behavior variables, including orgasm consistency, masturbation frequency, cognitive sexual arousal, and satisfaction with sexual responsivity. The analysis provides insights into the processes by which the variables are related to one another and generates specific hypotheses for future questionnaire and experimental research. The results are used to develop a psychosexual model for women, which holds that a masturbation/orgasm sequence may be a prerequisite for an understanding of cognitive elements leading to arousal and their physiological concomitants. Once this platform has been established, a single-partner-oriented sexual adjustment is possible, but a frequent exchange of partners at this time may prove detrimental to sexual satisfaction. Later on in life, intercourse frequency may diminish, and moderate sexual dissatisfaction may develop. The implications of this model for further research are explored. Replication and extension of this study with additional measures and older populations of women is recommended.     

论现代高科技在中药复方研究中的应用

中药复方是中医临床治疗的重要方法。由于具有多组分、多环节协同作用的特色,因此在某些方面可能优于以单一成分为主的西药。但是这一特点也增加了对其治疗机理进行研究的难度,从而影响到中医药的进一步发展和走向世界。本文认为应用现代高新技术是中医复方研究和发展的必由之路,但是在具体应用时应注意中医药本身所具有的独特的理论框架和思路,不能拘泥于西药药用植物的研究思路和方法。     

走出中医药学科研的误区

本文基于对中医药学独到的文化本质的分析,清理了近年某些具有典型意义的中医药学科研现象,从认识误区,判断误区和设计误区三个层次,对中医药学科研失误问题进行了论述,并指出导致这种失误的根本原因在于对中医药学缺少文化意识,对中医学的特殊本质没有清醒和深刻的理解,从而错误地把不属于科学范畴的不能实证的文化信箱