Sequences of spaced responses: Behavioral units and the role of contiguity

Sequences of temporally spaced responses were reinforced to investigate the effects of delay of reinforcement on the formation of functional behavioral units. In Experiment 1, rats' two- and three-response demarcated sequences of left and right lever presses were reinforced such that different response distributions would occur depending on whether the sequences themselves or individual responses were functional units. The matching law could thus be obeyed either by individual responses or by sequences, but not by both; intermediate results were possible. Both regular (nonretractable) and retractable levers were used; the retractable levers precluded the occurrence of insufficiently spaced responses. At a minimum interresponse time of 5 s for regular levers and 7 s for retractable ones, matching results were intermediate, with greater evidence of sequence conditionability in the two-response sequences than in the three-response sequences. In Experiment 2, the required minimum interresponse spacing for two-response retractable-lever sequences was varied in an attempt to locate the sequence matching threshold. This attempt was unsuccessful, but the sequences (instead of individual responses) more closely obeyed the matching law. In the shortest spaced condition, conditional probability data on Lag 1 sequence emission order showed marked, highly similar patterning for all rats, indicating sequential control of the sequences. Post hoc definition of the behavioral unit in these studies is ambiguous. Although reinforcement contiguity was important, aspects of the results could support both molar- and molecular-level interpretations.     

TOWARD A NEW CREATION OF BEING

Abstract. The author traces the path from split brains to basic beliefs by linking the deautomatized pattern of spiritual masters, as reorted in Rorschach protocols, with subsymbolic, parallel, distriguted processing, The older brain structures constitute humanity's common heritage, while the new brain constitutes particular cultural heritages. Expanding levels of complexity move from the limbic system throuh conitive left-mind vigilance and right-mind responsiveness to %Pelie patterns of proclamation and manifestation to the world-integrating mysticism of limbic input and the world-fulfilling action of the new brain. Whole brain activity combines emotional meaning and propositional explanation. Analogically seaking, the brain provides clues to understanding God. A ialectical theology parallels the reciprocal integration of brain processes. Whole brain belief originates in the old brain's evolutionary adaptation to our genetic inheritance and in the new brain's conscious intention to fulfill the will of God through our cultural inheritances.     

L’enfant visiteur en réanimation adulte : vécu psychologique de la visite et dispositifs d’accompagnement

IntroductionWhile ICUs encourage visits from patients’ loved ones, visits from children and adolescents have remained a rather sensitive issue. In an attempt to protect children from a potentially traumatic environment, certain services refuse or restrict their visits.ObjectiveIn this context, the question arises as to whether the visit in intensive care constitutes a psychological risk for the child and adolescents. Based on the literature, this article discusses the experience of the visit on the child, the research methodology implemented with child visitors, and finally the existing support systems.ResultsThe analyzed studies do not consider the psychological disorders associated with ICU visits. Moreover, there are many studies on this field and the methodologies have yet to be developed. Support measures exist but are at the initiative of the intensive care teams.ConclusionThere is now an urgent need to build on the studies focused on this field in order to propose a genuine policy with regard to the reception and support of children visiting ICU patients.     

Gender Differences in Speech Temporal Patterns Detected Using Lagged Co-occurrence Text-Analysis of Personal Narratives

This paper describes a novel methodology for the detection of speech patterns. Lagged co-occurrence analysis (LCA) utilizes the likelihood that a target word will be uttered in a certain position after a trigger word. Using this methodology, it is possible to uncover a statistically significant repetitive temporal patterns of word use, compared to a random choice of words. To demonstrate this new tool on autobiographical narratives, 200 subjects related each a 5-min story, and these stories were transcribed and subjected to LCA, using software written by the author. This study focuses on establishing the usefulness of LCA in psychological research by examining its associations with gender. The application of LCA to the corpus of personal narratives revealed significant differences in the temporal patterns of using the word “I” between male and female speakers. This finding is particularly demonstrative of the potential for studying speech temporal patterns using LCA, as men and women tend to utter the pronoun “I” in comparable frequencies. Specifically, LCA of the personal narratives showed that, on average, men tended to have shorter interval between their use of the pronoun, while women speak longer between two subsequent utterances of the pronoun. The results of this study are discussed in light of psycholinguistic factors governing male and female speech communities.     

中学生创新心理素质与相关因素的综合研究

采用创新心理素质、青少年生活事件、父母教养方式、艾森克人格和应对量表对558名中学生进行调查。结果表明：(1)中学生创新意识与健康适应、父母理解、父亲过分保护和干涉、内外向、解决问题、合理化、求助显著正相关;创新能力与人际压力、健康适应、父母理解、父亲过分保护和干涉、解决问题、合理化、求助显著正相关;竞争心与精神质、神经质、不良情绪应对和退避显著负相关,与内外向、父母理解、解决问题、合理化和求助显著正相关。(2)解决问题、内外向进入对创新意识的回归方程,解决问题、内外向、父亲过分保护和干涉、人际压力进入对创新能力的回归方程,解决问题和内外向进入对竞争心的回归方程。     

Examining individual differences in infants’ habituation patterns using objective quantitative techniques

The assessment of individual differences in infant habituation patterns is important for answering basic questions about continuity in cognitive development. Nevertheless, there are flaws with existing methods for determining relevant parameters of the cognitive processes associated with habituation. In this paper, a more rigorous, model-based alternative approach is illustrated. The approach demonstrates how the habituation data of individual infants may be fit by specific functions, how habituation may be distinguished from random responding, and how the parameter estimates of individual infants’ habituation functions might be analyzed for meaningful subgroups or clusters. The model-based approach provides novel insights about individual subgroups when applied to a real habituation data set and thereby demonstrates the feasibility and utility of the techniques advocated.     

Quality of Olympics opening ceremony: Tourism behavioural intention of international spectators

This study assessed the impact of the artistic program of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony event on international spectators’ national image branding of the host country and their intention to visit the host nation. We surveyed a total of 600 international spectators of the South Korea PyeongChang Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony (150 Filipino, 150 Americans, 150 British, and 150 South Africans; 50% female) on their perceptions of quality of the opening ceremony, national image branding, and their intention to visit the host country. Results from hierarchical analysis indicated that the quality of the artistic program of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics opening ceremony (content of expression, form of expression, and narrative of nation) predicted perceptions of host country national image and behavioural intentions to visit. From these findings, we conclude that the artistic program of the opening ceremony of an Olympic event is a valuable opportunity to help international spectators to better understand the host country culture, and for influencing their tourism intentions.     

家庭教养方式对男性罪犯犯罪性获得的影响

该研究对赣州监狱成年男性服刑人员进行父母教养方式(EMBU)问卷的测试。结果表明,家庭教方式是犯罪倾向性获得的心理机制,影响着个体认知图式的形成,对犯罪性获得产生普遍性的影响;影响犯罪的严重程度;父亲因子更多在一般犯罪性层面发挥作用,而母亲因子会影响犯罪的特殊倾向;家庭结构因素要通过家庭功能因素对犯罪发生作用。结论是:不良的教养方式对犯罪性的获得产生深刻的影响。     

Inspirational Patterns for Embodied Interaction

The concern of this work is how knowledge based on design experience can be developed, disseminated, articulated, and acquired. We propose the notion of inspirational patterns, or i-patterns, which refers to abstractions of core ideas and essential elements from a class of coherent examples, pointing to promising regions in the design space. Most current work on patterns concentrates on proven solutions to recurring problems; i-patterns, on the other hand, are oriented toward the innovative and inspirational. The design domain of interest to us is interaction design, which can be roughly defined as design with digital materials. More specifically, we focus on the intersection of tangible interfaces and social computing that is called embodied interaction. The paper presents nine i-patterns for embodied interaction, including “Virtual information is tied to positions in the material world” and “Heterogeneous virtual information fuses into a few sensory parameters.” Published in Proc. Nordes 2005, submitted for republication in Knowledge, Technology and Policy.