Effects of varying length of stimulus series and response scale upon response latency,response uncertainty,and transmitted information

A 3 by 3 orthogonal design was employed t o study the interrelations among response latency (RL), response uncertainty (E_R), and transmitted information Nine groups of Ss judged the size of 5, 20, or 40 projected squares in terms of 5, 20, or 40 response categories. Patterns of change in ER and RL over the three stimulus series were differentially effected by increases in the number of available response categories. The increase from 5 to 20 response categories produced, for successively longer stimulus series, a constantly increasing change in E_R; the further increase from 20 to 40 categories produced a contrasting, constantly decreasing change in E_R. The same two changes in number of response categories produced the same pattern of change in RL over the 5- and 20-stimulus series but reversed the pattern for the 40-stimulus series. Correlations between E_R and RL ranged from .28 to .99 and tended to maximize when number of response categories equaled the number of stimuli. I_t was relatively low under all conditions. Within the 5- and 20-stimulus series, increases from 5 to 20 to 40 available responses increased RL in a negatively accelerated fashion but did not increase I_t. Within the 40-stimulus series, the same increases in number of available responses produced an essentially linear increase in both I_t and RL.     

Perceived tachistoscopic duration and early visual processing in preschool children and adults

Two experiments further explored the Avant et al. (1975) finding that stimulus familiarity influences prerecognition processing to generate differences in the apparent duration of tachistoscopic flashes. The first experiment tested for developmental differences in the effects of upright versus 90°, 180°, and 270° rotations of a single letter or number upon the apparent duration of pre- and postmasked 30- and 50-msec flashes with adults and 4- and 5-year-old children. All age groups judged upright presentations to be of briefer duration. These differences in apparent duration were interpreted to index the automaticity of contacts between stimulus inputs and their memory representations. Failure of the children to recognize the letter and number in any orientation indicates that contact between stimulus inputs and memory representations precedes allocation of attention to the presented stimulus. The second experiment explored the influence of spatial structures which are not coded verbally by testing effects of good and poor dot pattern Gestalts on the apparent duration of tachistoscopic flashes. Adults discriminated between apparent durations of good and poor Gestalts but 4- and 5-year-olds did not. Apparent duration differences in the two experiments showed that spatial pattern structure and familiarity with verbal stimuli influence early visual processing in different ways.     

Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Clusters,Trauma History,and Substance Use among College Students

Previous research found associations between experiencing specific posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters and use of specific substances among combat veterans, women exposed to domestic violence, and an inpatient sample; however, research has not utilized a college sample when considering this association. This study assessed trauma history, PTSD symptoms, alcohol use, and nonexperimental use of depressants, stimulants, opioids, cannabinoids, hallucinogens, inhalants, and steroids in college students. Results indicate unique associations between the PTSD symptom cluster of reexperiencing and use of depressants, avoidance/numbing with use of depressants and opiates, and hyperarousal with use of opiates. Further, the individual subclusters of behavioral avoidance and emotional numbing were associated with use of depressants and avoidance was associated with hallucinogen use. Implications are discussed.     

Initial Validation of Measures of Sanctification in Same‐Sex Romantic Relationships and Sexual Behavior

Researchers have created reliable and valid scales of the sanctification of romantic relationships and sexual behavior of opposite‐sex couples. The goal of the present study is to assess the reliability and validity of sanctification measures within same‐sex romantic relationships. Measures of sanctification and relationship adjustment were given to 256 persons in same‐sex romantic relationships living in the United States. Both sanctification measures had Cronbach alpha values above 0.80. Sanctification related to relationship adjustment in expected ways. Controlling for demographic variables, general religiosity, and self‐perceived spirituality, the sanctification of a same‐sex romantic relationship was associated with greater investment in the partnership, emotional intimacy toward one's partner, and relationship satisfaction. Sanctifying same‐sex sexual behavior related to more frequent sex and more positive emotions toward sex, after controlling for demographic variables, general religiosity, and perceived spirituality. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Child Personality Moderates Associations Between Parenting and Relational and Physical Aggression

Although negative parenting strategies are a risk factor for relational and physical aggression, research has not previously investigated whether child personality traits moderate the association between negative parenting and relational and physical aggression. This was the aim of this study. Participants were mothers of 368 children (172 males, M_age = 11.61, SD = 0.82). Mothers reported on their parenting practices, child personality traits, and child aggression. Results indicated that 2 child personality traits (extraversion and openness) moderated the relationship between inconsistent discipline and relational aggression. Additionally, agreeableness moderated the relationship between poor monitoring and supervision and physical aggression. Specifically, children low on these personality traits showed the highest levels of aggression in the context of negative parenting. These results highlight the importance of examining child personality as a moderator of parental influences on psychopathology development, and emphasize important distinctions between parenting strategies and physical versus relational aggression outcomes.     

Alcohol impairs visual presence/absence detection more for females than for males

Ninety subjects (45 males, 45 females) were given 0.0, 0.5, or 1.0 ml/kg body weight of 190-proof ethanol and tested for chance-level presence/absence detection thresholds with energy-masked presentations of traffic signs and blank inputs. Alcohol produced higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels, and higher detection threshold durations, for females than for males. These results indicate that alcohol influences precortical visual processing and that the influence is greater for females than for males. The higher bioavailability of alcohol in women is likely due to less gastric oxidation of ethanol in women than in men.     

Stimulus familiarity modifies perceived duration in prerecognition visual processing.

Three experiments further explored the Avant, Lyman, and Antes finding that, during prerecognition processing, differences in subjects' familiarity with letters, words, and nonwords generate differences in the apparent duration of tachistoscopic flashes. The results replicate and extend the earlier findings, showing apparent duration differences with a variety of verbal stimuli over a range of tachistoscopic exposure intervals. The results also suggest that exposures of stimuli on early trials of an experiment reduce differences in preexperimental stimulus familiarity such that unfamiliar stimuli come to be processed more nearly like familiar stimuli. Familiarity acquired on early trials appears to accumulate at prerecognition levels of processing and to reduce apparent duration differences among stimuli on later trials.