RECREATING THE SCENE: AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROVIDE DELAYED PUNISHMENT FOR INAPPROPRIATE MOTOR BEHAVIOR

A mediated punishment procedure that involved recreating a behavioral sequence by guiding the subject through the behavior in the situation in which it occurred was used to suppress several severe problem behaviors in two developmentally delayed children. The mediational procedure was first used with a 4-year-old autistic boy for biting and then for foot stomping. Next the procedure was used for stealing and hoarding behavior with a multiply handicapped 17-year-old girl. Results indicated that the procedure was effective and produced relatively rapid results. One advantage of the procedure is that it provides an opportunity for trained personnel to apply restrictive procedures to low frequency behavior that occurs in their absence rather than relying on less qualified staff to implement the procedure immediately after the behavior occurs.     

Stimulus control of the pigeon's ability to peck a moving target.

Two pigeons were trained to peck whichever of eight keys displayed a white field (SD). The other seven keys displayed a white "X" on a black background (S delta). Each peck to SD produced three-second access to grain, a three-second intertrial interval (ITI), and the next trial. Pecks to S delta produced a three-second timeout (TO) and the same trial. During later sessions the key displaying SD changed every t seconds (t = 3, 2, 1, .5, and .25 sec), requiring the birds to track the position of the SD. Pecks on a ninth key increased t. Several sessions employed novel stimuli to ascertain the controlling stimulus dimensions. Both birds made few errors acquiring the original discrimination. During the tracking sessions, both birds made few errors when t = .5 sec. Only one reliably lengthened t. Data from sessions with novel stimuli indicate that color and form were important aspects of SD and S delta respectively; movement contributed to the final performance.     

Manual Movement in Sign Languages: One Hand Versus Two in Communicating Shapes

In sign languages, the task of communicating a shape involves drawing in the air with one moving hand (Method One) or two (Method Two). Since the movement path is iconic, method choice might be based on the shape. In the present studies we aimed to determine whether geometric properties motivate method choice. In a study of 17 deaf signers from six countries, the strongest predictors of method choice were whether the shape has any curved edges (Method One), and whether the shape is symmetrical across the Y‐axis (Method Two), where the default was Method One. In a second study of ASL dictionary entries for which the movement path of the sign is iconic of an entity's shape, the same predictors surfaced. These tendencies are captured in the Lexical Drawing Principle, which is coherent with biological constraints on movement in general. Drawing in the air with two hands, however, is costly, both cognitively and biomechanically. Furthermore, it distinguishes signers from non‐signers, who draw shapes with only one hand. Signers assume this extra cost in the lexicon because of the enhanced iconicity the possibility of two hands offers; they assume it in drawing shapes in the air because they apply the same linguistic principle they use in the lexicon. Additionally, having a choice of methods allows the signer to benefit from over‐specification in providing redundant information about the shape, enhancing comprehensibility and resolving ambiguity.     

Synthesis of asymmetric movement trajectories in timed rhythmic behaviour by means of frequency modulation

Results from different empirical investigations on gestural aspects of timed rhythmic movements indicate that the production of asymmetric movement trajectories is a feature that seems to be a common characteristic of various performances of repetitive rhythmic patterns. The behavioural or neural origin of these asymmetrical trajectories is, however, not identified. In the present study we outline a theoretical model that is capable of producing syntheses of asymmetric movement trajectories documented in empirical investigations by Balasubramaniam et al. (2004). Characteristic qualities of the extension/flexion profiles in the observed asymmetric trajectories are reproduced, and we conduct an experiment similar to Balasubramaniam et al. (2004) to show that the empirically documented movement trajectories and our modelled approximations share the same spectral components. The model is based on an application of frequency modulated movements, and a theoretical interpretation offered by the model is to view paced rhythmic movements as a result of an unpaced movement being “stretched” and “compressed”, caused by the presence of a metronome. We discuss our model construction within the framework of event-based and emergent timing, and argue that a change between these timing modes might be reflected by the strength of the modulation in our model.     

眼动记录技术与方法综述

眼动记录法是一种重要的心理学研究方法,目前已被广泛地应用于心理学的基础研究和应用研究领域之中。本文对主要的眼动记录方法进行了总结和分析,对国内外眼动记录仪的研制和发展情况进行了介绍,并就眼动记录技术和方法的前景提出了几点看法。     

可预测性和空格对中文阅读影响的眼动研究

实验采用EyeLink II 眼动仪,以30名大学生为被试,采用2（预测性：高、低）×3（空格：正常无空格、词间空格、非词空格）被试内设计,考察了预测性和空格对中文阅读影响,探讨了模块化理论和相互作用理论的争论。结果发现：词的预测性和空格两因素的主效应显著,但二者之间无交互作用,符合模块化理论的预期。     

不同水平五年级维吾尔族学生母语阅读知觉广度

本研究以眼动仪为工具,借助移动窗口技术,比较了16名高阅读水平和14名低阅读水平的五年级维吾尔族小学生维吾尔语阅读知觉广度的大小及其对称性。结果发现:高阅读水平学生的知觉广度为注视点左侧8~11个字符到右侧2~3个字符,而低阅读水平学生的知觉广度为注视点左侧8~11个字符到右侧2个字符。在本研究条件下,可得出以下结论:(1)五年级不同阅读水平的学生维吾尔语阅读知觉广度都具有不对称性,左侧范围大于右侧;(2)阅读水平高的学生其阅读知觉广度略大于低阅读水平的学生,差异主要体现在右侧知觉广度。     

延迟命名任务中图词干扰效应的眼动研究

采用图-词分离呈现及眼动技术探讨在延时命名条件下图-词干扰效应发生的位置。结果发现：（1）延时命名图片时,仍出现图-词干扰效应和频率效应;（2）与命名干扰词相比,命名图片时图片的回视率高,注视时间长;（3）图片的注视时间也出现频率效应和图-词干扰效应。这说明即使在延时命名图片的条件下,目标词汇仍需要再次激活,频率效应和图-词干扰效应是发生在词汇化过程中,反驳反应排除理论的图-词干扰反应选择阶段的观点,支持了词汇化选择竞争的理论。     

大学生词的获得年龄、熟悉度、具体性和词频效应的眼动研究

采用眼动实验方法,研究大学生词的获得年龄、熟悉度、具体性和词频四个变量在句子阅读中所产生的字词识别效应,以及效应作用的时间进程。对这四个变量与词阅读的首次注视时间、单一注视时间、凝视时间、总注视时间进行多元重复回归分析,结果发现,词频和熟悉度在词识别过程的所有方面都具有重要性,获得年龄对词识别的早期加工过程敏感,具体性对各个阶段的词识别影响不显著。     

胎教音乐对胎儿影响的实验研究

该项研究从三个方面探讨了胎教音乐对胎儿的作用。结果发现：胎教音乐可以使胎动时间延长,并证明在胎儿后期即存在条件反射;胎儿出生后能够再认胎教音乐,说明在胎儿后期已经存在听觉记忆;胎儿的性别及神经活动类型是影响其对音乐反应的重要因素。该研究的意义在于：证明了胎儿期心理现象的存在。把对“胎儿期有无心理现象”的历史争论引入了心理学的实验过程。