On the form of the forgetting function: the effects of arithmetic and logarithmic distributions of delays

Forgetting functions with 18 delay intervals were generated for delayed matching-to-sample performance in pigeons. Delay interval variation was achieved by arranging five different sets of five delays across daily sessions. In different conditions, the delays were distributed in arithmetic or logarithmic series. There was no convincing evidence for different effects on discriminability of the distributions of different delays. The mean data were better fitted by some mathematical functions than by others, but the best-fitting functions depended on the distribution of delays. In further conditions with a fixed set of five delays, discriminability was higher with a logarithmic distribution of delays than with an arithmetic distribution. This result is consistent with the treatment of the forgetting function in terms of generalization decrement.     

An enriched teaching program for reducing resistance and indices of unhappiness among individuals with profound multiple disabilities

We evaluated an enriched teaching program for reducing resistance and indices of unhappiness displayed by 3 individuals with profound multiple disabilities during teaching sessions. The program involved presentation of preferred activities before, during, and after each teaching session, discontinuation of identified nonpreferred activities, and a brief break and preferred activity following occurrence of resistance. Implementation of the enriched teaching program was accompanied by reductions in resistance and indices of unhappiness for each participant. Results also indicated no negative impact of the program on participant performance of the teaching steps or staff teaching proficiency. Staff questionnaire responses provided a degree of social validation for the observed changes in that staff reported the participants liked the enriched teaching program more than the traditional teaching process. Directions for future research discussed include identifying critical aspects of the overall program and the potential relation between teaching proficiency and the program's enrichment effectiveness.     

The role of secondary covariates when estimating latent trait population distributions

The U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the U.S. Adult Literacy Survey collect probability samples of students (or adults) who are administered brief examinations in subject areas such as mathematics and reading (cognitive variables), along with background demographic (primary) and educational environment (secondary) questions. The demographic questions are used in the primary reporting, while the numerous explanatory secondary variables, or covariates, are only directly utilized in subsequent secondary analyses. The covariates are also used indirectly to create the plausible values (multiple imputations) that are an integral part of analyses because of the use of sparse matrix sampling of cognitive items. The improvement in the precision of the primary reporting due to the inclusion of the covariates is assessed here and contrasted with the precision of reporting using plausible values created using only the primary demographic variables.The results demonstrate that the improvement in precision depends on the matrix sampling designs for the cognitive assessments. The improvements range from essentially none for the most common designs, to moderate for some less common designs. Consequently, two potential changes in the reporting procedures that could improve the statistical and operational efficiency of primary reporting are (a) eliminate or reduce the collection of covariates and increase the number of cognitive items, (b) to avoid delays, eliminate the covariates from the creation of plausible values used for the primary reports, but include them later when creating public-use files for secondary analyses. The potential improvements in statistical and operational efficiency must be weighed against the intrinsic interest in the covariates, and the potential for small discrepancies in the primary and secondary reporting.Thanks to Donald Rubin, Robert Mislevy, and John Barnard for their helpful comments and computing assistance. This work was supported by NCES Grant 84.902B980011.     

Effects of methamphetamine and scopolamine on variability of response location.

Methamphetamine and scopolamine were studied in monkeys responding under a multiple fixed-ratio fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement. A response on any one of six levers could satisfy the schedule requirements. Variability of response location was evaluated in terms of switches, where a switch was defined as a response on one lever followed by a response on a different lever. Under baseline conditions the fixed-ratio schedule generated a high rate of responding and a low level of variability, while the fixed-interval schedule generated a low rate of responding and a high level of variability. Both methamphetamine (0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg) and scopolamine (2.4 to 240 microgram/kg) decreased overall response rate and increased variability of response location in each component of the multiple schedule with increasing doses of drug. At lower doses both drugs were found to decrease rate without affecting response variability.     

‘Liars are less detailed’ …So what? Comparing two recall instructions to detect deception within-subject

Most deception research provides between-subject results (e.g., liars give on average less detailed accounts), which might be of limited value for professionals evaluating credibility on an individual basis. This study examines the optimal instructions of a within-subject multiple recalls strategy to detect deception. A total of 110 participants, divided into a Lie and Truth group, were randomly placed into four interview conditions: two Basic report-everything instructions (1), a Basic recall followed by an Open depth instruction (2), a Basic recall followed by the Verifiability Approach and Information Protocol (3), and two recalls with the Verifiability Approach and Information Protocol (4). All recalls were coded for total details and verifiable details. Group (lie and truth) × Recall (first and second) was only significant in condition 3, with truth tellers providing more verifiable details in the second recall than the first. A simple within-subject decision rule was derived, allowing a 76.9% discrimination rate. Professionals can optimally evaluate credibility using two recalls (Basic recall followed by Verifiability Approach and Information Protocol) and observing the evolution of verifiable details.     

“We may be pirates,but we are not protesters”: Identity in the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Radical activist organizations face the complex task of managing their identity so as to draw political attention but also to appear legitimate and thus gain public support. In this article we develop a picture of the identities of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) members, a group mostly known for their direct action against whaling, via a thematic analysis of material from the SSCS website and interviews with SSCS members. In online commentary, founder Captain Paul Watson establishes several deliberately paradoxical notions of who the Sea Shepherds are. We relate these identity statements to interviews with core activists to examine how they manage the identity conflicts resulting from the group identity, such as being seen as “pirates” and “hard lined vegans.” We found that SSCS positions themselves as a diverse and unstructured organization, yet distinctively passionate and willing to take action where others will not. The implications of this research are discussed in relation to the importance of understanding the constraints and conflicts around political activist identities.     

When Does a Professional Relationship with a Psychologist Begin? An Empirical Investigation

Research on multiple relationships by practicing psychologists has typically presumed the presence of a professional relationship and focused on the ethicality of subsequent, nonprofessional relationships. Instead, this study focused on the question of what, exactly, constitutes the professional relationship in the first place. Practicing psychologists and undergraduates responded to vignettes portraying various early stages of interaction between a therapist and a prospective client. Participants' responses indicated that determinations of professional relationship establishment, and the ethicality of subsequent nonprofessional relationships, depended upon the degree of engagement. Some differences emerged between perceptions by professionals and nonprofessionals. Ethical and professional implications are discussed.     

Chinese Corporate Social Responsibility by Multiple Objective Portfolio Selection and Genetic Algorithms

In this paper, we study corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China through the prism of investments. We work with large stocks and assess their CSR performance from agency CSR data. We formulate Chinese CSR by a multiple objective extension of a traditional portfolio selection model and analytically solve the extension. We also solve the extension by a genetic algorithm and directly evaluate the algorithm's performance against the analytical solution. The multiple objective formulation is tested by randomly choosing nondominated portfolios with out‐of‐sample data to identify nondominated portfolios that outperform the 1/n portfolio (equally weighted portfolio). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.