THE DISJUNCTION EFFECT IN CHOICE UNDER UNCERTAINTY

Abstract —One of the basic axioms of the rational theory of decision under uncertainty IS Savage's (1954) sure-thing principle (STP) It states that if prospect x is preferred to y knowing that Event A occurred, and if x IS preferred to y knowing that A did not occur, then x should be preferred to y even when it is not known whether A occurred We present examples in which the decision maker has good reasons for accepting x if A occurs, and different reasons for accepting X if A does not occur Not knowing whether or not A occurs, however, the decision maker may lack a clear reason for accepting X and may opt for another option We suggest that, in the presence of uncertainty, people are often reluctant to think through the implications of each outcome and, as a result, may violate STP This interpretation is supported by the observation that STP is satisfied when people are made aware of their preferences given each outcome     

The effects of perceptual set on the shape and apparent depth of subjective contours

Two experiments showed the influence of perceptual set on the perception of subjective contours. In the first, the perceived shape of a subjective-contour figure (a minimal version of the Ehrenstein configuration) was varied by altering the observer’s viewing set. The second experiment showed that apparent depth emerged in subjective-contour figures when observers were set to perceive the illusory contours.     

Similarity of schematic faces: A test of

In this study we obtained direct and comparative judgments of the dissimilarity between schematic faces varying on three binary attributes. These data were used to test the hypothesis that the overall dissimilarity between faces can be decomposed (in an ordinal sense) into three additive components, one for each attribute. The hypothesis was strongly confirmed by both the direct and the comparative judgments. The study illustrates the possible usefulness of the measurement-theoretic analysis of simple combination mies for psychological dimensions.     

The new qualification in careers guidance in higher education: A collaborative partnership

The raison d'être for the new Certificate and Diploma in Careers Guidance in Higher Education is outlined. The different perspectives of the partners in this enterprise–the Department of Community Studies at the University of Reading and the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS)–are discussed. The initial difficulties and successes are explored and a suggested strategy is offered for other such collaborative ventures.     

Personality differences between established and less-established male and female creative artists

Past research on personality constructs of creative individuals has focused on men rather than women and has neglected the essentially social aspect of being considered creative. Therefore, personality variables of 60 male and 60 female creative artists were described using the California Psychological Inventory (CPI). Male and female groups were further divided equally into two subgroups reflecting a difference in degree of social acceptance of their work. Relationships between the four groups were explored by multiple discriminant analysis. The major conclusion noted was that creative females tend to be more like their creative male counterparts, in terms of CPI scale variation, than are males and females in general.     

Tension headache: Theoretical problems

The traditional view of tension (muscular contraction) headache is delineated in a set of seven assumptions. A review of recent psychophysiological studies gives little support for these assumptions. However the findings provide a basis for a preliminary hypothesis about tension cases, and some predictions concerning how they can be treated. A three-systems analysis of tension headache is recommended.     

On the reciprocity of proximity relations

The degree of reciprocity of a proximity order is the proportion, P(1), of elements for which the closest neighbor relation is symmetric, and the R value of each element is its rank in the proximity order from its closest neighbor. Assuming a random sampling of points, we show that Euclidean n-spaces produce a very high degree of reciprocity, $\text{P(1) ≥}\text{1}\text{2}$, and correspondingly low R values, E(R) ≤ 2, for all n. The same bounds also apply to homogeneous graphs, in which the same number of edges meet at every node. Much less reciprocity and higher R values, however, can be attained in finite tree models and in the contrast model in which the “distance” between objects is a linear function of the numbers of their common and distinctive features.     

The relationship between sighting dominance and the fading of a stabilized retinal image

The fading of a stabilized retinal image in the sighting and the nonsighting dominant eye was studied using the Haidinger’s brush target. Reaction time to the complete disappearance of the stabilized image was significantly longer when the target was input to the sighting eye. The greater persistence of stabilized targets in the sighting eye suggests possible differences in the neural channels from the two eyes or processing differences in the two monocular channels that are related behaviorally to eye dominance.