Avoidance learning and "personality" in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata).

The authors examined the relationships between 2 "personality" dimensions (Approach and Fear Avoidance) and 2-way active avoidance learning performance in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Contrary to expectations (based on prior rodent studies), higher fearfulness facilitated both earlier appearance and acquisition of the shuttlebox avoidance responses, especially in the less exploratory and active fish. However, the overall maximum level of performance was not much affected by the 2 personality dimensions studied. Thus, the results emphasized the species-specific and interactional effect of fearfulness on the 2-way avoidance learning performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of three tests of temperament in guppies (Poecilia reticulata).

Differences in temperament (consistent differences among individuals in behavior) can have important effects on fitness-related activities such as dispersal and competition. However, evolutionary ecologists have put limited effort into validating their tests of temperament. This article attempts to validate three standard tests of temperament in guppies: the open-field test, emergence test, and novel-object test. Through multiple reliability trials, and comparison of results between different types of test, this study establishes the confidence that can be placed in these temperament tests. The open-field test is shown to be a good test of boldness and exploratory behavior; the open-field test was reliable when tested in multiple ways. There were problems with the emergence test and novel-object test, which leads one to conclude that the protocols used in this study should not be considered valid tests for this species. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Scotopic Sensitivity in Coyotes (Canis latrans)": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by Steven W. Horn and Philip N. Lehner (Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1975[Nov], Vol 89[6], pp. 1070-1076). The corrected sentence beginning in the first line on page 1074 is published here. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2005-09231-001). Measured the absolute scotopic limen for light intensity for 3 10-mo-old female coyotes. The methodology was similar to that used by D. S. Blough (see record 1959-07701-001) in determining psychological thresholds in pigeons. Ss were operantly conditioned to depress 1 of 2 foot treadles, left or right, depending on the condition of the stimulus light. Scotopic adaptation curves for each S were generated. Nonlinear aggression curves were then fitted to the raw data. The mean scotopic thresholds did not differ significantly. However, time to the curves' asymptotes did differ significantly for 1 S. The adaptation curves showed a distinct rod-cone "break," and retinal histology confirmed that the coyote has a duplex retina with a preponderance of rods. In addition, electroretinographic analysis showed the relative contributions of rods and cones at various light intensities and indicated a rod-cone break at approximately 15 min. Scotopic spectral sensitivity curves were also generated. Ss' scotopic visual threshold was exceeded by the natural illumination available under many nocturnal conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determinants of social proximity in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica): Male behavior.

Studied social proximity in 6 experiments, using a total of 64 Japanese quail. Following opportunity to copulate with a female housed in an adjacent compartment, males spent 64% of their time near a window that provided visual access to the female (Exp I). This social proximity behavior persisted for at least 2 wks of continual exposure to the window despite lack of further physical access to the female (Exp II) and was evident at all daylight hours (Exp III). Females stimulated more proximity behavior in male conspecifics than did other males or birds (e.g., yellow ducklings, parakeets) of other species (Exps IV and V). The females did not have to be previous sexual partners, familiar, sexually experienced, or reproductively competent to stimulate proximity behavior in males (Exps IV and V). Exp VI demonstrated that the social proximity behavior was primarily a response to the visual aspects of the females. Results are discussed in relation to mate-guarding and surveillance behavior, and implications of the data for sexual classical conditioning of male Japanese quail are noted. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Estrogen-Progesterone Regulation of Nest-Building and Incubation Behavior in Ovariectomized Ring Doves (Streptopelia risoria)": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by Mei-Fang Cheng and Rae Silver (Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology, 1975[Jan], Vol 88[1], 256-263). The address for the request for reprints should have read "Institute of Animal Behavior, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102." (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1975-08949-001.) Determined the role of ovarian hormones in the induction of nest-building (tucking) and incubation behavior in female doves by systemic injections of estrogen, or progesterone, or estrogen combined with progesterone, or oil in 40 reproductively experienced, ovariectomized Ss. Combined estrogen and progesterone treatment was the most effective hormone regimen for eliciting both behavior patterns in females and also facilitated these behaviors in their 40 untreated mates. Differences in role of the gonadal progesterone in male and female doves are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experience-dependent changes in exploratory behavior in the adult rat (Rattus norvegicus): Overall activity level and interactions with objects.

In a previous investigation, Renner and Rosenzweig reported that in juvenile rats some aspects of interaction with objects are affected by experience history, but that experience does not affect overall amount of exploratory behavior. In order to examine the plasticity of this behavioral system in adult rats, 20 male rats of the Berkeley S? strain were placed at 90 days of age into enriched (EC) and impoverished (IC) conditions. After 30 days, each was placed individually into a dimly illuminated arena with several objects for 10-min periods on two successive days. EC subjects reared significantly more and showed significantly longer and more complex bouts of interaction with objects than did IC subjects, including both manipulable (M) and nonmanipulable (N) objects. EC subjects were also more likely to interact with objects. All subjects interacted more with N than M objects, but EC subjects were more likely than IC subjects to climb upon the N objects. These relatively specific behavioral alterations suggest differences in the information that these animals could gather during exploration. These results, when considered in conjunction with those of the previous study, show that the qualitative aspects of exploratory behavior are dissociable from the quantity of exploration exhibited. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The very best of the millennium": Longitudinal research and the demand-control-(support) model.

This study addressed the methodological quality of longitudinal research examining R. Karasek and T. Theorell's (1990) demand-control-(support) model and reviewed the results of the best of this research. Five criteria for evaluating methodological quality were used: type of design, length of time lags, quality of measures, method of analysis, and nonresponse analysis. These criteria were applied to 45 longitudinal studies, of which 19 (42%) obtained acceptable scores on all criteria. These high-quality studies provided only modest support for the hypothesis that especially the combination of high demands and low control results in high job strain. However, good evidence was found for lagged causal effects of work characteristics, especially for self-reported health or well-being outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring exploratory behavior in young children: A factor-analytic study.

A battery of 4 tasks designed to measure curiosity and exploratory behavior (preference for unknown, curiosity drawer box, puzzle box, and preference for complexity) was administered to 113 preschool boys and girls and 109 1st- and 2nd-grade girls. No sex differences were found for the preschoolers on any of the 13 variables from the tasks. Age differences, however, were evident; some indicated higher levels of exploration by the older Ss, and others indicated higher levels of exploration by the younger Ss. Despite the age differences, separate factor analyses for preschool boys, preschool girls, and school-aged girls resulted in similar factor structures indicative of both mode of exploration (verbal, tactile) and style of exploration (depth, breadth) factors for all groups. Results are compared and contrasted to findings from other factor analytic studies of curiosity. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addendum to "Summation in the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)."

Rumbaugh, Savage-Rumbaugh, and Hegel (1987) reported that two chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) could select, with better than 90% accuracy, the greater of two paired quantities of chocolate chips. In that study, no one quantity of chocolates (from 0 through 5) was used in both pairs on a given trial. We investigated the effect of having one quantity in common (CQ) in both pairs. Whether the other quantities (OQs) of chocolates were both less than or greater than the CQ, summation still occurred. Accuracy was primarily a function of the ratios of sums to be differentiated. This finding substantiated the earlier conclusion that summation was based on both quantities of each pair and not on some simpler process such as the avoidance of the tray with the smallest single amount or selection of the tray with the single largest amount. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The evidentiary status of social science under Daubert: Is it "scientific," "technical," or "other" knowledge?

The U.S. Supreme Court assumed the difficult task of establishing the threshold standard for the admissibility of expert testimony that is based on "scientific" knowledge in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (113 S. Ct. 2786, 1993). Psychology confronts a significant challenge under Daubert, which calls for judges themselves to make determinations of scientific validity rather than merely looking to the pertinent scientific community for approval. Daubert identifies 4 factors lower courts can use to determine scientific validity: falsifiability, error rate, peer review and publication, and general acceptance. It is argued that expert testimony on eyewitness identification would hold up fairly well to these scientific validity factors, whereas expert testimony on repressed memories might not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Narcissism, shame, masochism, and object relations: An exploratory correlational study.

A correlational study with 701 students examined measures of narcissism, shame, masochism, object relations, and social desirability. Moderate correlations were found for narcissism, shame, object relations, and masochism. Narcissism divided into 2 different styles, a "phallic," grandiose style and a narcissistically vulnerable style. Shame primarily accounted for the differences in these styles, correlating negatively with the grandiose style, positively with the more vulnerable style. The narcissistically vulnerable style correlated more with the core pathology measures; that is, object relations and masochism. Social desirability did not mediate the relationship between grandiose narcissism and shame. Masochism was a better predictor of shame in women than was narcissism whereas there was little difference between masochism and narcissism for predicting shame in men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The significance for psychology of O'Connor v. Donaldson:" Reply.

Replies to comments by R. A. Seigel (1978) on J. L. Bernard's (see record 1978-29212-001) article on the meaning of the case of O'Connor vs. Donaldson, which dealt with the issue of dangerous patients. It is argued that psychologists should attend to the problem of defining the terms dangerous and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Misconceptions in Martin and Terris's (1991) "Predicting infrequent behavior: Clarifying the impact on false-positive rates."

S. L. Martin and W. Terris (see record 1991-28965-001) recently attributed to a number of psychologists a concept they called the false-positive argument (FPA), according to which a test should not be used if an individual who fails is more likely to be qualified than unqualified, and they attempted to clarify the conditions under which the FPA may be appropriate. It is argued that in none of the articles cited by Martin and Terris is the FPA truly posited and also that they failed to clarify the conditions under which the FPA might be appropriate. These conditions depend on the costs and payoffs associated with the various outcomes of the decision problem, as is demonstrated through the use of a threshold utility model. Finally, the examples used by Martin and Terris deal with the detection of deception but were discussed without proper consideration of the contexts in which lie-detection techniques are typically used. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Copulatory behavior of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus): II. A study of some factors regulating the fine structure of behavior.

In 7 experiments on factors regulating copulatory behavior in deer mice, changes in copulatory behavior across series within a test reflected changes in both male and female, with the male apparently predominant. Even when mating with females of a species with a very different copulatory pattern (cactus mice), male deer mice retained the species-typical pattern. Mating in a 2-male/1-female condition produced little alteration in copulatory behavior from that in the 1-male/1-female condition. Under some test conditions, levels of aggressive behavior in the 2-male/1-female condition was considerable. There was generally covariation among body weight, social dominance, and copulation, with heavier males being dominant and ejaculating more often than lighter males. When females were in hormone-induced estrus, mount and intromission latencies were longer and ejaculation frequencies were lower than with either cycling or postpartum estrus. Significant differences between cycling and postpartum estrus were detectable with a within-Ss design. Mate familiarity had little effect on parameters of copulatory behavior once initiated. Effects of both male and female were detected when mating partners were changed between tests and test–retest correlation coefficients were calculated. (67 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Death feigning by grass snakes (Natrix natrix) in response to handling by human "predators."

Death feigning, a variant of tonic immobility, is usually interpreted as a last-resort antipredator measure. The authors describe death feigning in grass snakes (Natrix natrix) and test some of its potential correlates. Death feigning was seen in 66% of wild-caught snakes but was not seen in hatchlings from laboratory-incubated eggs. Minimal indication of death feigning was mouth gaping, often with the tongue hanging free, but more dramatic cases involved voluntary supination and/or lack of muscle tone. Aside from hatchlings, which did not feign death, there was little variation in frequency or intensity of death feigning with body size. There was no effect of body temperature on death feigning nor were snakes that were moving when caught less likely to feign death than those that were not moving. Interpretation of the adaptive value of death feigning in grass snakes or in other animals is hampered by lack of evidence of this behavior in the field in response to natural predators. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Observing the social world": Response.

Replies to the student reviewers (see record 1993-35323-001) of the author's original study (see record 1993-35289-001) concerned with developing research ideas from observations of real-life events. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate responses to social interactions in free-moving rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): A pilot study.

Heart rate telemetry was explored as a means to access animal emotion during social interactions under naturalistic conditions. Heart rates of 2 middle-ranking adult females living in a large group of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were recorded along with their behavior. Heart rate changes during 2 types of interactions were investigated, while controlling for the effects of posture and activity. The risk of aggression associated with the approach of a dominant individual was expected to provoke anxiety in the approachee. This prediction was supported by the heart rate increase after such an approach. No increase was found when the approacher was a kin or a subordinate individual. The tension-reduction function of allogrooming was also supported. Heart rate decelerated faster during the receipt of grooming than in matched control periods. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Specializations in the predatory behavior of grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster and O. torridus): A comparison with the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).

The purpose of this study is to show that the grasshopper mouse's attack upon insects represents a specialized response that is well-suited for capturing nocturnally active arthropods, even ones with formidable defenses. Basically, a comparative approach is used. In the first part, the aspects of the biology and social behavior of the grasshopper mouse are compared with those of the omnivorous golden hamster to show that the former exhibits more specializations for a carnivorous life-style than the latter. Next, certain details of the motor, sensory, decision-making, and developmental processes of the attack upon insects are compared between grasshopper mice and hamsters. Grasshopper mice exhibit a more specialized method of seizing a moving prey, have a better suited sensory basis for tracking moving prey in the dark, and exhibit a more canalized decision-making and developmental process than hamsters. The significance of these differences to the mouse's carnivorous life-style are discussed. Finally, the grasshopper mouse's attack upon insects is compared with its attack upon lab mice to show that the former attack represents a different and more canalized response than the latter and that the attack upon insects plays a central role in the mouse's carnivorous life-style. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reemphasizing Martin and Terris's (1991a) "Predicting infrequent behavior: Clarifying the impact on false-positive rates."

High false-positive rates have been used to argue against the use of valid psychological tests, and this argument is typically adopted when base rates are low. S. L. Martin and W. Terris (see record 1991-28965-001) noted that this argument has merit in some situations but is generally inappropriate in the context of personnel selection. G. Ben-Shakhar and M. Bar-Hillel (see record 1993-23709-001) criticized Martin and Terris's article for a number of reasons. The present article demonstrates that each of these criticisms is either inappropriate or incorrect. Furthermore, the authors show that Ben-Shakhar and Bar-Hillel's article repeats the same error that was identified by Martin and Terris. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)