Discriminative and associative aspects of retroactive inhibition

Original learning of paired drawings of meaningful objects or of modified Chinese characters was followed by interpolated learning in which details of drawings were changed in one of two degrees with or without rearrangement of the original pairings. Subjects were tested for accuracy of identification of the original drawings and for associative matching of the original pairs. Identification errors were attributed jointly to confusion between original and interpolated drawings, and to unlearning of those features of original drawings which were in conflict with comparable features of interpolated drawings. Rearrangement of pairs during interpolated learning produced not only associative interference on the matching test, but also additional discriminatory interference on the identification test. Effects of associative and discriminative interference upon individual drawings were uncorrelated for meaningful material and only slightly correlated for meaningless material.     

Regional Differences in Junior Colleges

This study examines the geographical distribution of various junior college characteristics. Scores for 6 factors or categories of college characteristics, identified in earlier ACT research, were computed for each of 581 accredited junior colleges. When these junior colleges were classified and analyzed by geographical region, significant differences were found among regions on all 6 factors—Cultural Affluence (or Private Control), Technological Specialization, Size, Age (or Conventionalism), Transfer Emphasis, and Business Orientation (or High Cost). The regional differences are discussed and implications are suggested for research and counseling as well as for junior college planning.     

Contributions of the care-giving role to women's development

It was hypothesized that older widows (N=309) who had been care givers to their husbands would have undertaken a greater number of household responsibilities than had women who had not been care givers. Findings indicated that, prior to the husband's death, more traditionally male and more traditionally female tasks were performed by the care-giving wives (n=158). This was particularly true in the case of Alzheimer's care givers (n=21). More importantly, widows' present feelings of competence were related to undertaking household responsibilities, with those who had been care givers expressing significantly higher levels of competence.     

Isoluminance and contingent color aftereffects

In the typical induction of the orientation-contingent color aftereffect (CCAE), the stimuli are composed of elements that differ in both color and luminance. Three experiments are reported that show that chromatic contrast between stimulus elements is insufficient for the induction of the orientation-CCAE and that luminance contrast is necessary. These experiments expand on previous research concerned with the role of luminance contrast in the induction of orientation-CCAEs by eliminating alternative explanations.     

Analysis of long-term stress reactions in emergency room patients: An initial study

The psychological stress reactions of 44 family medicine patients who were treated in the emergency room were examined approximately a year after the event. Patients were assessed on several psychological measures, including one for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and on their perception of how stressful the event was initially and now. Results show continuing stress reactions related to the emergency room event. Three patients endorsed symptoms indicating full PTSD and 13 appeared to have at least partial PTSD. Age appeared to be a factor in the presence of stress symptoms and in degree of perceived communication with the physician.     

Infants' sensitivity to arbitrary object-odor pairings

The ability of 4-month-old infants to learn the arbitrary relationship between an object and a distinctive odor was assessed. Infants were familiarized with two objects while one of them was paired with a cherry odor. Results indicated that only female subjects showed evidence of matching. They increased their looking to the target object in the presence of the odor but not in the absence of the odor, relative to baseline levels.     

Genetic counseling for pregnant adolescents

The genetic counseling literature has a paucity of information on how to provide genetic counseling services to adolescents, especially those who are pregnant. The adolescent population should be viewed as a separate culture, complete with their own beliefs and viewpoints, which are dependent upon the developmental growth tasks of puberty. The completion of these tasks is complicated by pregnancy, which has its own set of developmental goals. The adolescent struggle with developmental goals interferes with the ability to identify consequences, predict future outcomes, and communicate self-revealing statements or decisions effectively. Instead, the adolescent has an egocentric frame of reference and seeks peer approval. The genetic counseling dilemmas presented by pregnant adolescents are illustrated through two case reports. A model based on our own experience and a literature review for successful counseling of adolescents is presented, and utilizes the foundation of trust, patience, and nonjudgmental behavior. Techniques that address the adolescent's concern for autonomy and peer approval are important, and can be achieved through nonthreatening, open-ended questions that promote self-expression. Incorporation of these techniques in genetic counseling and in graduate training will enhance genetic counseling services to the adolescent population.     

The effect of representations of binary variables on judgment of influence

Studies concerned with judgments of contingency between binary variables have often ignored what the variables stand for. The two values of a binary variable can be represented as a prevailing state (nonevent) or as an active state (event). Judgments under the four conditions resulting from the combination of a binary input variable that can be represented as event-nonevent or event-event with an outcome variable that can be represented in the same way were obtained. It is shown in Experiment 1, that judgments of data sets which exhibit the same degree of covariation depend upon how the input and output variables are represented. In Experiment 2 the case where both the input and output variables are represented as event-nonevent is examined. Judgments were higher when the pairing of the input event was with the output event and the input nonevent with the output nonevent that when the pairing was of event with nonevent, suggesting a causal compatibility of event-event pairings and a causal incompatibility of event-nonevent pairings. Experiment 3 demonstrates that judgments of the strength of the relation between binary input and output variables is not based on the appropriate statistical measure, the difference between two conditional probabilities. The overall pattern of judgments in the three experiments is mainly explicable on the basis of two principles: (1) judgments tend to be based on the difference between confirming and disconfirming cases and (2) causal compatibility in the representation of the input and output variables plays a critical role.