Rasch-representable reaction time distributions

This article investigates properties of a representation based on the Rasch test model for reaction times (RT) that was proposed by Micko. Necessary and sufficient conditions for a set of RT distributions to be Rasch-representable are derived. It is shown that independent serial and independent parallel processing models cannot be reconciled with the representation. However, random extreme models compatible with the Reasch-representation exist that assume RT is determined by the longest or he shortest processing time of a random number of independent paraloel channels. Nonparametric properties of Rasch-representable distributions are derived that can be used for testing the model and for estimating its parameters. Conditions are presented for Rasch-representable distributions to form a scale family. Finally, Rasch-represent-able distributions are characterized interms of their hazard functions.For helpful discussions, we are grateful to Hans Irtel, Christoph Micko, Hartmann Scheiblechner, and Hans-Henning Schultz.     

Stimulus stringing by pigeons

Pigeons were trained to peck one, two, three, and then four colors in a predetermined sequence from a five-key array where, over trials, each color appeared equally often in each position of the array. Incorrect pecks resulted in a buzzer and trial termination, with the same array presented for the next trial. Correct pecks produced feedback and correct strings could produce food. All subjects performed at a high level of accuracy with no difference at asymptote between a continuous and a mixed spectral sequence as the required order. Transfer to a new set of arrays had little effect on accuracy. Errors forward in the sequence had the highest probability, followed by repeat errors, backward errors, and dark-key errors. Some arrays had a higher level of accuracy than others but a corresponding systematic variable could not be identified.     

Serial position effects in visual short-term memory for words and abstract spatial patterns

Two experiments tested the effects of list postion, and retention-interval in recognition for two distinct stimulus categories in young adults. Stimulus categories were spatial abstract patterns and words presented on a computer screen. At short delay intervals recency effects predominates and at longer delay intervals a primacy effect predominates in both experiments, indicating similar basic memory processes producing the serial position functions for the two different categories of visual stimuli, but as length of retention-interval increases, memory for first list items improves for words and remains constant for abstract patterns. Recency functions are similar for both stimulus categories tested.     

Visual search for positional relationships between pattern elements

The purpose of these experiments was to illustrate how a search for positional relationships between the elements in a stimulus pattern is effortful and serial, whereas a search for pattern elements (without requiring any positional information) takes place rapidly and in parallel. In all three experiments of this study, the target and distractor patterns consisted of two vertical line segments. In the experiment concerning the search for positional relationships between pattern elements, one of the line segments in a line pair had a gap, and the observer's task was to indicate whether the positional order of the two lines was identical in all the line pairs of the display, or whether the line segments were in a mirror-image order in one line pair (the target). In the two experiments concerning the search for pattern elements (no positional information was required), the observer's task was to look for a line pair with one gap line (the target) among line pairs containing two broken lines or among line pairs with unbroken lines. In all three tasks, the reaction time for a correct target detection was measured. The results showed that the search in the first task was highly serial, and in the second and third tasks of "feature" searches, the search time was nearly independent of the number of distractor pairs. It is suggested that this dissociation may be interpreted in the context of the quality of information processing in extrafoveal vision, i. e. the elements of a stimulus pattern can be clearly visible outside the fovea, but it is not possible to perceive accurately the positional relationships between them.     

双任务并存条件下的信息提取

将短时记忆再认与长时记忆范畴判断两类不同性质的信息提取任务相并列,探讨了双任务条件下的信息提取过程是如何进行的。实验结果表明,双任务并存时,ｎｏ反应的总平均反应时不等于两种任务单独进行时各自ｎｏ反应的平均反应时之和（减去一次视觉动作反应时后）,而是与其中一个较后完成的过程的ｎｏ反应平均反应时相近。因此推断双任务并存时,信息提取过程不是完成一个再进行另一个的系列加工过程,而是二者同时平行加工的过程。     

Inter-event differences in action memory

Two experiments examined the effect of verb-noun connectivity on recall of simple action phrases, under motor and nonmotor encoding conditions. Connectivity, measured by associative overlap and rated belongingness, was found to make a difference. High-connectivity pairs are better recalled than low-connectivity pairs. Primacy effects are absent with low-connectivity pairs, but generally present with high-connectivity pairs—irrespective of encoding conditions. Inter-item action phrase differences thus influence the effects studied in action memory research. The results were discussed in terms of strategic and nonstrategic conceptions of memory for actions.     

项目在不同间隔时间呈现过程中的系列位置效应

以中国汉字为材料,考察不同中数比率（０．６,０．８和１．０）时,系列位置曲线不同部分性质的分化,结果说明,系列位置曲线不同部分的性质,是项目间隔时间和其时间变化的中数比率共同作用的结果,发现项目间隔时间变化中数比率所起作用更大,在项目呈现时间相同时,项目隔间的时间长短,决定项目之间的辨别程度,也影响到对项目正确提取的百分数。     

Is Human Behavior Autocorrelated? An Empirical Analysis

The current review and analysis investigated the presence of serial dependency (or autocorrelation) in single-subject applied behavior-analytic research. While well researched, few studies have controlled for the number of data points that appeared in the time-series and, thus, the negative bias of the r coefficient, and the power to detect true serial dependency effects. Therefore, all baseline graphs that appeared in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) between 1968 and 1993 that provided more than 30 data points were examined for the presence of serial dependency (N = 103). Results indicated that 12% of the baseline graphs provided a significant lag-1 autocorrelation, and over 83% of them had coefficient values less than or equal to (±.25). The distribution of the lag-1 autocorrelation coefficients had a mean of .10. Subsequent distributions of partial autocorrelations at lags two through seven had smaller means indicating that as the distance between observations increases (i.e., the lag), serial dependency decreased. Although serial dependency did not appear to be a common property of the single-subject behavioral experiments, it is recommended that, whenever statistical analyses are contemplated, its presence should always be examined. Alternatives for coping with the presence of significant levels of serial dependency were discussed in terms of: (a) using alternative statistical procedures (e.g., ARIMA models, randomization tests, the Shewhart quality-control charts); (b) correcting statistics of traditional parametric procedures (e.g., t, F); or (c) using the autocorrelation coefficient as an indicator and estimate of reliable intervention effects.     

个体完成系列回忆任务时错误类型发展的实验研究

本实验以小学一、三、五年级学生和大学生为被试,选择三种类型的汉字(普通字、形似字和同音字)为实验材料,要求被试完成系列回忆任务。结果发现：各组被试在完成系列回忆任务时,出现了四种错误,即遗漏错误、侵入错误、移动错误和重复错误。其中遗漏错误、侵入错误和移动错误随年级升高而降低;移动错误的相对比例最高,重复错误的相对比例最低。同时还发现同音字引起的错误率明显高于普通字和形似字。     

人脸加工中身份语义信息提取的加工方式

人脸加工过程中,从人脸知觉到身份信息提取是一个系列的过程还是平行加工的过程,是人脸研究的热点问题之一。通过比较脸—脸(FF)、名字—名字(NN)、脸—名字(FN)和名字—脸(NF)等四种刺激类型条件下被试对其作夫妇判断和性别配对判断时的反应时分析,发现判断任务与刺激类型之间存在显著交互作用。在性别判断任务中,FF反应最快,NF其次,FN和NN最慢;而在夫妇判断任务中,四种刺激类型间无显著差异。反应错误率分析也显示相似的结果。实验结果支持人脸识别到身份信息提取过程为系列加工的观点。