Dissimilarity cumulation theory in smoothly connected spaces

This is the third paper in the series introducing the Dissimilarity Cumulation theory and its main psychological application, Universal Fechnerian Scaling. The previously developed dissimilarity-based theory of path length is used to construct the notion of a smooth path, defined by the property that the ratio of the dissimilarity between its points to the length of the subtended fragment of the path tends to unity as the points get closer to each other. We consider a class of stimulus spaces in which for every path there is a series of piecewise smooth paths converging to it pointwise and in length; and a subclass of such spaces where any two sufficiently close points can be connected by a smooth “geodesic in the small”. These notions are used to construct a broadly understood Finslerian geometry of stimulus spaces representable by regions of Euclidean n-spaces. With an additional assumption of comeasurability in the small between the canonical psychometric increments of the first and second kind, this establishes a link between Universal Fechnerian Scaling and Multidimensional Fechnerian Scaling in Euclidean n-spaces. The latter was a starting point for our theoretical program generalizing Fechner’s idea that sensation magnitudes can be computed by integration of a local discriminability measure.     

Using a Session Feedback Form in Cognitive Therapy with Children

This article presents a new written form for eliciting session feedback from children. The importance of session feedback is discussed and the specific written form is presented. Clinical applications and advantages of the session feedback form are also reviewed. Additionally, the uses of the session feedback form in supervision are explained. Finally, cautions and limitations are outlined.     

The effects of session length on demand functions generated using FR schedules

In comparing open and closed economies, researchers often arrange shorter sessions under the former condition than under the latter. Several studies indicate that session length per se can affect performance and there are some data that indicate that this variable can influence demand functions. To provide further data, the present study exposed domestic hens to series of increasing fixed-ratio schedules with the length of the open-economy sessions varied over 10, 40, 60, and 120 min. Session time affected the total-session response rates and pause lengths. The shortest session gave the greatest response rates and shortest pauses and the longest gave the lowest response rates and longest pauses. The total-session demand functions also changed with session length: The shortest session gave steeper initial slopes (i.e., the functions were more elastic at small ratios) and smaller rates of change of elasticity than the longest session. Response rates, pauses, and demand functions were, however, similar for equivalent periods of responding taken from within sessions of different overall lengths (e.g., total-session data for 10-min sessions and the data for the first 10 min of 120-min sessions). These findings suggest that differences in session length can confound the results of studies comparing open and closed economies when those economies are arranged in sessions that differ substantially in length, hence data for equivalent-length periods of responding, rather than total-session data, should be of primary interest under these conditions.     

强势品牌广告竞争的溢出效应

本研究探讨同一品类两个强势品牌广告竞争对弱势品牌产生的影响, 研究尝试将广告重复、广告长度作为操控广告竞争强度的具体手段, 运用感知到的广告竞争水平来表示广告竞争强度。研究结果表明, 同一品类两个品牌同时进行广告重复的水平不同, 可以导致被试感知到的广告竞争水平有显著差异, 广告重复次数越多, 被试感知到的广告竞争强度越高, 广告长度对感知到的广告竞争作用不显著。研究同时发现：随着两个强势品牌广告竞争强度的提高, 消费者对弱势品牌的品牌态度降低, 这表明强势品牌广告竞争对弱势品牌具有溢出效应。另外, 研究还发现产品涉入度和产品属性相似性对强势品牌广告竞争的溢出效应具有调节作用, 涉入度低的产品和属性相似性高的产品溢出效应更大。本研究丰富了溢出效应理论, 增加了溢出效应类别, 同时对同一品类内部的广告实践具有重要的指导意义。     

Are Line Lengths Critical to the Discrimination of Axisymmetric Pairs of Figures from Disoriented Identical Pairs?

I examined whether the lack of a difference in line lengths made the discrimination of axisymmetric (Ax) pairs of figures from disoriented identical (Idr) pairs difficult. Three basic pair types were prepared: Idr, Ax, and nonidentical/nonaxisymmetric (Nd) pairs. To avoid confusion arising from structural differences, all pairs of figures were set to be mutually isomorphic. Two figures of a pair were controlled to have the same line lengths of respective figural components (Experiment 1) or the same lengths of individual line segments (Experiment 2) in experiments where participants decided if the figures were the same/different. Experiment 1 showed longer latencies for Ax pairs than for Nd pairs, indicating that these feature values alone did not cause difficulty in discrimination. Experiment 2 showed that only Nd pairs with all line segments having the same lengths for the two figures had the same latencies as Ax pairs. The sameness of individual line segments in simple pairs of figures made discrimination difficult.     

Studies of wheel-running reinforcement: parameters of Herrnstein's (1970) response-strength equation vary with schedule order

Six male Wistar rats were exposed to different orders of reinforcement schedules to investigate if estimates from Herrnstein's (1970) single-operant matching law equation would vary systematically with schedule order. Reinforcement schedules were arranged in orders of increasing and decreasing reinforcement rate. Subsequently, all rats were exposed to a single reinforcement schedule within a session to determine within-session changes in responding. For each condition, the operant was lever pressing and the reinforcing consequence was the opportunity to run for 15 s. Estimates of k and R(O) were higher when reinforcement schedules were arranged in order of increasing reinforcement rate. Within a session on a single reinforcement schedule, response rates increased between the beginning and the end of a session. A positive correlation between the difference in parameters between schedule orders and the difference in response rates within a session suggests that the within-session change in response rates may be related to the difference in the asymptotes. These results call into question the validity of parameter estimates from Herrnstein's (1970) equation when reinforcer efficacy changes within a session.     

转换概率和词长期待对语音统计学习的影响

语音统计学习指个体在加工人工语言过程中, 可以追踪音节间的转换概率实现切分语流、提取词(语)的过程。本研究采用2(转换概率：高转换概率、低转换概率) × 2(词长期待：两音节、三音节)的混合实验设计来考察转换概率和词长期待对语音统计学习的影响, 转换概率是被试间变量, 词长期待是被试内变量。事后检验发现, 仅在低转换概率人工语言的三音节迫选条件下, 被试没有表现出显著的学习效果。事先对比发现, 在学习低转换概率的人工语言后, 被试完成三音节迫选试次的成绩显著低于两音节迫选试次; 在三音节迫选试次中, 学习低转换概率人工语言被试的成绩也显著低于学习高转换概率被试的成绩。以上结果说明, 转换概率和词长期待共同影响个体语音统计学习的效果。     

实施临床路径管理 构建和谐医患关系

医患和谐是医患双方的共同需要,通过时单病种乳腺癌改良根治术等10个单病种临床路径与成本控制绩效分析,评价患者的满意效果。收集整理2006年7月至2007年12月10个单病种的统计信息,以其手术并发症发生率、平均住院天数、平均住院费用、患者满意率等作为评价指标,将实验组（应用临床路径和成本控制组）和对照组（未应用临床路径和成本控制组）进行对比分析。结果显示,应用临床路径和成本控制的患者与未应用这一方式的患者之间在手术并发症发生率、平均住院时间、平均住院费用、患者满意率方面有统计学显著差异。提示单病种临床路径和成本控制模式应用于临床管理,可以明显促进CQI（Continuous Quality Improvement持续性质量改进）,缩短平均住院时间,降低住院费用,提高患者满意率,并从根本上改善医患关系。     

Psychophysics without physics: extension of Fechnerian scaling from continuous to discrete and discrete-continuous stimulus spaces

The computation of subjective (Fechnerian) distances from discrimination probabilities involves cumulation of appropriately transformed psychometric increments along smooth arcs (in continuous stimulus spaces) or chains of stimuli (in discrete spaces). In a space where any two stimuli that are each other's points of subjective equality are given identical physical labels, psychometric increments are positive differences ψ(x,y)-ψ(x,x) and ψ(y,x)-ψ(x,x), where x≠y and ψ is the probability of judging two stimuli different. In continuous stimulus spaces the appropriate monotone transformation of these increments (called overall psychometric transformation) is determined uniquely in the vicinity of zero, and its extension to larger values of its argument is immaterial. In discrete stimulus spaces, however, Fechnerian distances critically depend on this extension. We show that if overall psychometric transformation is assumed (A) to be the same for a sufficiently rich class of discrete stimulus spaces, (B) to ensure the validity of the Second Main Theorem of Fechnerian Scaling in this class of spaces, and (C) to agree in the vicinity of zero with one of the possible transformations in continuous spaces, then this transformation can only be identity. This result is generalized to the broad class of “discrete-continuous” stimulus spaces, of which continuous and discrete spaces are proper subclasses.     

Müller-Lyer图形中长度加工与时距估计的关系

采用复制法,考察Müller-Lyer错觉条件下,长度加工与时距估计的关系。实验1和实验2分别采用实线段和空线段,结果发现,图形的客观长度越长,估计的时距越长;箭头朝向造成的主观长度错觉对时距估计无影响;时距对长度判断的影响较小。实验3进一步操作线段长度和箭杆方向,发现长度错觉不影响时距估计与错觉量的大小无关。研究表明刺激的客观长度与时间在心理表征上存在自动化的联结,也受到刺激、实验方法和时距等因素的影响。