Behavioral contrast produced by a signaled decrease in local rate of reinforcement

Pigeons' key pecking in the presence of one stimulus (S1) was reinforced according to a response-dependent variable-interval schedule. Pecking rate during S1 increased (behavioral contrast) when a second stimulus (S2) [associated with either a response-dependent fixed-interval schedule (Experiment I) or a response-independent reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement availability was signaled by visual (Experiment II) or temporal (Experiment III) stimuli] alternated with S1. These experiments suggest that a discriminable, signaled decrease in local reinforcement rate during S2 is an antecedent of the behavioral contrast response rate increases during S1.     

The processing of fundamental frequency in a dichotic matching task

The temporal characteristics of auditory memory were investigated using a reaction time paradigm. The study attempted to determine whether or not there are functionally distinct left and right hemisphere components of auditory memory with different capacities for the retention of nonlinguistic information, such as fundamental frequency, over the course of several seconds. The results indicated that fundamental frequency information in auditory memory remains substantially unchanged over the course of 2 sec. No evidence was found for the existence of separate left and right hemisphere components of auditory memory with different temporal characteristics. The implications of this finding for the organization of auditory memory in the brain are discussed.     

A study of some conditions relating to the retarded adult's stereotyped responding in a binary-choice task

This study was a longitudinal one that examined the effects of certain conditions on alternation and perseveration in a binary-choice task. The conditions manipulated included: (1) lapse of time (stability of the pattern), (2) stimulus dissimilarity, (3) spatial location of the two alternatives, (4) time-out (time away from the task), (5) delay between responses, and (6) differential reinforcement of the two choices. Eight mentally retarded adults, identified as “pure” alternaters or perseveraters, served as subjects. Perseveration was “disrupted” only by differential reinforcement. Alternation was affected by all experimental manipulations with the exception of stimulus dissimilarity.     

Neutralizing sexist titles in Holland's Self-Directed Search: What difference does it make?

Sex-role stereotyping in the linguistic structure of Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) was examined. A revised SDS was constructed involving the removal of all masculine-toned terminology from the items and test-taking instructions, as well as the affixing of the letters M/F and F/M to all occupational titles and terms commonly perceived as gender specific. Subjects were 266 lower division female students at a large state university; 133 subjects completed the standard SDS and 133 completed the revised form. Following SDS assessment, subjects rated their inventory with respect to perceived sexual equality. Comparison variables included: daydreams, occupations' scores, summary codes, and subsequent occupational choices. Occupational choices at each stage of the assessment process were classified as nontraditional or traditional choices for women. Results indicated that across all indices derived from the standard and revised versions of the SDS, there were no significant differences in these subjects' performance. The subjects did perceive the two inventories differently, with subjects completing the standard SDS viewing it as slightly less equitable.