"Sex bias in psychological research: Progress or complacency?": Response.

Responds to the L. Gannon et al (see record 1992-23274-001) comments on the F. L. Denmark et al (see record 1988-34553-001) paper, "Guidelines for Avoiding Sexism in Psychological Research." The authors note that the intent of Denmark et al was to point out common examples of sex bias in psychological research and offer scientifically sound recommendations to prevent or reduce sex bias. However, the authors reaffirm the scientific need to analyze and report sex differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Generalized social phobia versus avoidant personality disorder: A commentary on three studies.

The findings of J. D. Herbert et al (see record 1992-27377-001), C. S. Holt et al (see record 1992-27380-001), and S. M. Turner et al (see record 1992-27401-001) are largely consistent. Avoidant personality disorder and generalized social phobia appear to be overlapping constructs that have only minor differences with respect to severity of dysfunction. This commentary addresses the implications of the findings with respect to the validity of the categorical distinction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III—Revised (DSM-III—R) between avoidant personality and generalized social phobia, revisions of their respective diagnostic criteria, and their reclassification as either an anxiety or a personality disorder. Methodological and substantive suggestions for future research are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

It takes more than information to save energy.

Contributes to the M. L. Dennis et al (see record 1991-08669-001) review of social and behavioral science literature related to the failure to change human behavior on a large scale for energy conservation and environmental protection. It is suggested that behavioral and social scientists can increase corporations' and governments' environmentally protective behavior by helping them develop more effective environmental programs with the information-dissemination approaches reviewed by Dennis et al. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression and the search for negative evaluations: More evidence of the role of self-verification strivings.

W. B. Swann et al (see record 1992-27469-001) suggested that depressed and dysphoric persons verify their self-conceptions by seeking rather negative appraisals. J. M. Hooley and J. E. Richters (see record 1992-27439-001) and L. B. Alloy and A. J. Lipman (see record 1992-27420-001) have worried that (1) idiosyncratic features of the Swann et al participants and design may have produced their effects and (2) Swann et al presented no evidence that self-verification strivings are motivated. The authors address these issues empirically. Study 1 showed that 20 dysphoric participants preferred interacting with a person who appraised them unfavorably over participating in another study, in comparison with 30 nondysphorics. Study 2 revealed that 26 dysphoric persons responded to feedback that challenged their negative self-view by working to reaffirm their low self-esteem, in comparison with 47 nondysphorics. These findings support the notion that at some level depressed and dysphoric persons want rather negative appraisals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scanning and form-contingent color aftereffects.

G. K. Humphrey et al (see record 1994-28172-001) and J. Broerse and P. Grimbeek (see record 1994-28160-001) suggested that the form-contingent color aftereffect reported by S. Siegel et al (see record 1992-22207-001) would not be obtained if Ss were instructed to scan the induction and assessment forms. The authors present data from 10 adult Ss who were instructed to scan the forms. These scanning Ss displayed aftereffects that were no different from those described earlier by Siegel et al. Scanning Ss do display spatiotopic contingent color aftereffects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pigeons' inferences are transitive and the outcome of elementary conditioning principles: A response.

Contrary to H. Markovits and C. Dumas (see record 1992-37986-001), this article maintains that, although semantically questionable, the transitive-inference performance in pigeons demonstrated by L. von Fersen et al (see record 1991-29523-001) was impeccably transitive. Von Fersen et al proposed a local rule to account for performance. P. A. Couvillon and M. E. Bitterman (see record 1992-37970-001) provided a rationale for such a rule by pointing out that the equally reinforced central stimuli, B, C, and D, are unequally unreinforced. This article shows that many models that recognize an effect of nonreinforcement on stimulus value give similar results. Therefore, Couvillon and Bitterman's argument that nothing beyond conventional conditioning principles is necessary to account for the transitive-inference effect in pigeons is supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fewer doubts concerning rats' serial position performance: Reply to Gaffan and Gaffan (1992) and Rawlins, Deacon, Chih-Ta, and Aggleton (1992).

It has been suggested by E. A. Gaffan and D. Gaffan (see record 1992-37974-001) that the data on nonspatial memory in rats reported by P. Reed et al (see record 1991-11847-001) displayed less than expected variability. Reanalysis revealed a greater degree of variance than that highlighted by Gaffan and Gaffan. Variance was, however, low at the central positions of the list, and 2 explanations for this effect are considered. The J. N. Rawlins et al (see record 1992-37990-001) explanation, experiment expectation, is rejected. Instead, poor memorial cues for items in the center of the list may have produced a reversion to a win-shift/lose-stay strategy that would account for the low variance. Although it would be prudent to suspend conclusions until adequate replications have been conducted, the present reanalysis of the data shows that the arguments made by Gaffan and Gaffan and Rawlins et al are far from definitive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Cognitive-behavioral therapy in geriatric depression": Reply to Riskind, Beck, and Steer.

Responds to the challenge by J. H. Riskind et al (see record 1986-12531-001) to the interpretation by J. L. Steuer et al (see record 1984-21146-001) that changes observed on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in depressed geriatric patients treated with cognitive-behavioral (CB) group psychotherapy did not demonstrate superiority for CB therapy over a psychodynamic approach. Riskind et al proposed that somatic items on the other rating instruments used might not be valid in geriatric patients and thus might render those scales less sensitive. Reanalyses of the psychotherapy data and data from a placebo-controlled study of tricyclic antidepressants by the present 3rd author et al (see record 1983-21474-001) did not support this assertion. Somatic items proved to be sensitive to change in both studies. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Substance use and AIDS: A reply to Fisher (1993).

Replies to the comment by D. G. Fisher (see record 1993-39094-001) on the authors' original article (see record 1992-36889-001) concerning the neglect of the substance abuse field by health care practitioners. H. J. Shaffer et al point out that nothing in their original article should be misconstrued as condoning or encouraging the use of psychoactive drugs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

To medicate or not to medicate: Let us be honest about why we should.

Responds to the articles of P. H. DeLeon et al (see record 1991-25292-001) and S. J. Kingsbury (see record 1992-25066-001) on prescribing privileges for psychologists. It is argued that such privileges would help psychologists provide the best, most efficient, and least complicated care for the patients, unencumbered by a 3rd party. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

It's not how you frame the question, it's how you interpret the results.

L. K. Michaelsen et al (see record 1992-19773-001) were not convinced by the present authors' computer simulations and replication study that the original study of Michaelsen et al (see record 1990-04483-001) did not provide evidence of an assembly bonus effect. Therefore, the authors logically reiterate the position that, at the very least, demonstrating an assembly bonus effect requires evidence that interacting groups would have outperformed noninteracting or nominal groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to comments on the child-care debate.

Responds to comments by W. B. Johnson and D. Hayes (see record 1993-41125-001), J. E. Maddux (see record 1993-41129-001), K. McCarthey et al (see record 1993-41130-001), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Network (see record 1993-41132-001), and N. Shpancer (see record 1993-41138-001) on L. B. Silverstein's (see record 1992-05293-001) original article on child care and maternal employment, noting that the comments go a long way toward expanding the child-care debate, if not transforming it. Silverstein focuses on the role of psychology in policymaking and the responsibility of government in the lives of individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Occurrence versus moderation of the automatic attitude activation effect: Reply to Fazio.

In this reply to R. H. Fazio's (see record 1993-32136-001) commentary on the article by J. A. Bargh et al (see record 1992-33847-001), the main purposes and findings of that research are reviewed. This reply presents new data that replicates the original findings of J. A. Bargh et al regarding the conditions under which reliable moderation of automatic attitude activation by speed is more versus less likely. It also responds to the renditions of them by H. Fazio's and J. A. Bargh et al. This reply argues that automatic attitude activation is a pervasive phenomenon and that moderation by attitude speed may be a more limited tendency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Definitions and levels of analysis.

Presents concerns with the article by D. M. Buss et al (see record 1998-01669-001). The present author states his main concern as being the suggestion by Buss et al that S. J. Gould (see record 1992-11754-001) was inconsistent in his usage of the term "exaptation," and that his stated definitions seem to require these effects to be biological. Additionally, the author takes issue with the suggestion by Buss et al that Gould used the term to "cover novel but functionless uses or consequences of existing characteristics," and offers his own interpretation of Gould's research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Data models, practical realities, and conceptual maps in clinical database design.

Comments on M. H. Burge's (see record 1993-03165-001) alternate model in response to the article by D. M. Todd et al (see record 1992-25001-001) on database management in clinical practice. Todd welcomes this suggestion and discusses reasons why a naturalistic clinical database cannot always satisfy the requirements of elegant data models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Negative priming for spatial locations: Identity mismatching, not distractor inhibition.

Negative priming (NP) is commonly thought to occur because distractor inhibition is necessary for target selection (the distractor inhibition hypothesis). Contrary to this account, the selection of a target in the preceding trial is shown to be neither necessary (Exp 1) nor sufficient (Exps 2 and 3) for NP in a target localization task modeled after S. P. Tipper et al (see record 1991-00251-001). Exps 4 and 5 provide further evidence against the distractor inhibition hypothesis and support an alternative mismatching account: NP in the spatial selection task apparently results from a change in the symbol bound to a given location (D. Kahneman et al; see record 1992-37866-001), rather than a change in the status of that location from distractor to target (Tipper et al). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Manipulating the shape of distance effects in visual curve tracing: Further evidence for the zoom lens model.

Reexamined the predictive power of the zoom lens curve tracing model in the research of P. A. McCormick and P. Jolicoeur (see record 1992-07800-001) by selectively manipulating distractor proximity in 4 conditions and regressing the predictions of the model on human response time. 12 university students participated. The model was compared with 2 other curve tracing models: pixel by pixel tracing and the bipartite receptive field operator of Jolicoeur et al (see record 1992-15217-001). Results provide strong support for McCormick and Jolicoeur's visual attention based zoom lens operator. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The locus of orthographic-phonological facilitation: Reply to Roelofs, Meyer, and Levelt (1996).

In their comment, A. Roelofs, A. S. Meyer, and W. J. M. Levelt (see record 1997-06337-001) argued that serial-access language production models predict an interaction between semantic and orthographic-phonological variables in picture–word tasks. In this reply, the authors first show that this position conflicts with Roelofs et al.'s previous work and conclude that the model presented in the comment is a modification of Roelofs' (1992a, 1992b) original model. Next, they present 3 arguments against this new model. First, Roelofs et al. did not provide independent empirical evidence in favor of their modification. Second, contrary to Roelofs et al.'s prediction, the reduction of semantic interference appears to be independent of the percentage of shared orthography. Third, Roelofs et al.'s model predicts early phonological effects of spoken-word distractors, a prediction that is refuted by time-course data reported by H. Schriefers, A. S. Meyer, and W. J. M. Levelt (see record 1990-16319-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Misrepresentation of pornography research: Psychology's role": Comment.

S. Page (see record 1989-29305-001), in his critique of D. G. Linz et al (see record 1988-04285-001), argues that violence has increased in pornography in recent years. The present author cites 2 longitudinal studies of pornography that find no increase in violence in homosexual or heterosexual pornography. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consumption behaviors hinge on financial self-interest.

Comments on the W. Kempton et al (see record 1993-07794-001) analysis of the role of financial self-interest in energy consumption (EC). Kempton et al provided a misleading treatment of consumption behaviors, leading readers to underweigh the importance of the consumer's financial self-interest in determining EC. Although social psychological variables are important in EC behavior, efforts need to focus on designing the most effective contingencies of financial self-interest. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)