Delayed auditory feedback.

When S hears his own voice with a small time delay his speech may be seriously affected. The effects produced by delayed auditory feedback (DAF) include prolongation of vowels, repetition of consonants, increased intensity of utterance, and other articulatory changes. The significance of individual differences in susceptibility to DAF is considered in relation to personality and physiological characteristics. The technique may prove useful in the detection of auditory malingering and has possible implications for the understanding of stammering. The discussion relates the findings to models of speech control. Methodological problems and future research needs are outlined. (74 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in stuttering frequency as a function of various intervals of delayed auditory feedback.

5 different intervals of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) were presented to 6 severe stutterers while they read aloud. Results indicate that the continuous presentation of DAF significantly reduced stuttering frequency. Fluency enhancement was generally greatest during the shortest DAF intervals tested. No evidence was found for the carryover of fluency generated by DAF into the period immediately following Ss' experience on DAF. Results are consistent with a view that stuttering is based on a defect in the processing of auditory feedback. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Delayed auditory feedback and movement.

It is well known that timing of rhythm production is disrupted by delayed auditory feedback (DAF), and that disruption varies with delay length. We tested the hypothesis that disruption depends on the state of the movement trajectory at the onset of DAF. Participants tapped isochronous rhythms at a rate specified by a metronome while hearing DAF (for piano tones) of differing lengths. Motion capture was used to analyze movement trajectories. Mean Inter-Response Intervals (IRIs) varied as an approximately sinusoidal function of feedback condition, with DAF causing slowed production for shorter delays and speeded production for faster delays. Motion capture analyses revealed that finger velocity at the time of DAF predicted the effect of DAF on mean IRI whereas finger position predicted the variability of IRIs. A second experiment in which participants were instructed to vary the timing of peak finger height confirmed that the effect of DAF on timing variability is directly influenced by the finger trajectory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Immediate versus delayed visual memory task performance among schizophrenic patients and normal control subjects

In an exploratory study, 10 schizophrenic patients and 10 normal control subjects performed immediate and delayed memory tasks, which were variants of previously developed continuous performance tests. Both tasks required participants to identify five-digit numbers which were repeated. Numbers were presented in series for 500 ms each and separated by a 500-ms time-out period. In the immediate memory task, subjects were to respond if a number was identical to the one that had immediately preceded it. The delayed memory task differed from the first task in that a longer delay (3.5 s) between stimuli was introduced, and during this delay distracter stimuli appeared. While normal control subjects performed accurately on both tasks (exceeding 80% correct detections), schizophrenic patients performed poorly, performing worse on the delayed memory task than on the immediate memory task. Rates of commission errors (responses made to similar, but not identical numbers) were nearly equal between groups on the immediate memory task, but on the delayed memory task normal control subjects made relatively more commission errors while schizophrenic patients made fewer commission errors. No differences in response latencies were observed between subject groups or tasks. This paradigm may prove useful in discriminating subtle differences in immediate and delayed memory capability among psychiatric populations and normal control subjects.     

Reversal shift preferences in process and reactive schizophrenic, brain-damaged, and control group patients.

Compared process and reactive schizophrenic, brain-damaged, and normal control groups (n = 34 each) in frequency of reversal shifts in discrimination learning using the optional-shift paradigm. The main hypothesis that reactive schizophrenics, like normal adults, would show a stronger preference for reversal shifts than would process Ss was supported. Results show that significantly more reactive (68%) than process (44%) Ss made reversal shifts. Significantly more brain-damaged and reactive schizophrenic Ss showed reversal shift preferences when color was learned initially rather than form, while such initial concept preferences were not found in the process schizophrenic or normal control Ss. Previous findings in discrimination learning with pathological groups are discussed in the context of these findings. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Size estimation in schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic subjects.

Studied size estimation in 120 male acute and chronic schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic psychiatric patients. No significant group differences were found in the size estimation levels, or when the groups were subdivided on the basis of both premorbid adjustment and paranoid status. All Ss increased their size estimation levels over the 3 trial blocks. The thematic content of the stimuli produced a significant effect in the chronic schizophrenic group, with the nonthreatening scenes being overestimated relative to the threatening scenes. Some methodological problems common to size estimation studies are noted, and the growing inconsistency in the size estimation literature is hypothesized to be due to these problems. (23 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inducing schizophrenic associations in normal subjects.

L. S. Levitz and L. P. Ullmann (see record 1970-03762-001) found that normal Ss can increase their number of uncommon associations in response to instructions and reinforcement. Using 40 college students, the present study replicated this finding with a concurrent measure of response latency, and as predicted, the increase in uncommon associations was accompanied by an increase in response latency. Results are consistent with the theory that instructions induce normals to change their responses by means of an editing process, and it is suggested that such editing of responses is a "symptom" of normal flexibility rather than a model of the development of schizophrenic thought disorder. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Monaural and binaural story recall by schizophrenic subjects.

P. Green and other investigators have reported that schizophrenic Ss have poorer recall of stories presented to both ears than to the single best ear (binaural deficit) and poorer recall of stories presented to the left ear than to the right ear (monaural asymmetry) than do normal control Ss. These studies are plagued by potential methodological problems, including differences in overall accuracy, which artifactually affect the difference scores, and scoring methods that are vulnerable to systematic bias. In this study, scores of schizophrenic, bipolar, and normal control Ss on the Auditory Comprehension Test were compared. Scoring bias was avoided by the use of blind scoring and a revised scoring manual, and artifactual effects of accuracy were considered in interpreting the results. Contrary to previous findings, the groups did not differ on either monaural asymmetry or binaural deficit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The level of aspiration of schizophrenic and normal subjects.

The performance of normals and schizophrenics on five selected levels of aspiration variables was evaluated for significant differences and examined in the light of Hausmann's earlier findings. The differences between the groups are analyzed. Hausmann's findings, however, could not be reproduced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Eyelid conditioning and arousal in schizophrenic and normal subjects.

Schizophrenic patients were compared with normal Ss on an eyelid-conditioning task. All Ss received 50 trials to either a light or a tone CS; the UCS was an air puff to the eye. The principal findings were: (1) the number of CRs was shown to be related to level of skin potential in both normal and schizophrenic Ss; (2) the schizophrenic group gave more CRs than the normal group, and this was associated with higher skin potentials in the patient group; (3) the level of skin potential was found to be related to withdrawal, and the more withdrawn Ss gave more CRs; and (4) a differential effect was found between normal and schizophrenic Ss and the modality of the CS. (28 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stimulus generalization and overinclusion in normal and schizophrenic subjects.

Compared 38 male and 12 female schizophrenics and a matched group of normals on a test of stimulus generalization, Epstein's Inclusion Test, and the Vocabulary subtest of the WAIS. Schizophrenics generalized significantly more than normal Ss (p     

Selection of subjects in studies of schizophrenic cognition.

Considers that an investigator's method of selection of schizophrenics and control Ss for research on schizophrenic cognition determines whether groups differ either on accuracy or on any specific error that is highly correlated with accuracy. Severity of disturbance and chronicity are especially important determinants of results. If matching on correlated demographic variables is part of the design, the matching should be very close; even nonsignificant demographic differences can affect the results. Psychiatric controls are not useful for determining whether schizophrenics have a specific defect because nonschizophrenic psychiatric patients may also show that defect. Testing of nonschizophrenic psychiatric patients is useful for determining whether such patients show a given defect but seldom yields evidence with generality concerning which kind of patient shows it the most. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conformity behavior of schizophrenic subjects with maternal figures.

4 groups of 10 Ss each were used: (a) a group of Nondrug Poor Premorbid schizophrenic Ss, (b) a group of Drug Poors, (c) a group of hospitalized Alcoholics, and (d) a group of Normal control Ss. S was placed in a 2-choice situation, and asked to indicate his preference, over a number of trials, after having learned the preference of a cold, domineering, maternal figure. Conformity was measured in terms of 3 relatively independent response attributes. The results indicate that, as compared to the Nondrug schizophrenics: (a) the Drug schizophrenics manifested less conformity, (b) the Normals were uninfluenced, and (c) the Alcoholics tended to disagree with the negative mother. All groups were equally accurate in their perception of the 2 mothers. (24 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some determinants of persistence in chronic schizophrenic subjects.

This investigation of persistence in schizophrenics on tasks differing in complexity and interest under ego-involved and task-oriented conditions utilized 3 groups of male schizophrenics: 30 well-adjusted and 30 poorly-adjusted out-patients, and 30 regressed hospitalized patients. Each S worked at 1 of 3 tasks representing low, moderate, and high degrees of interest and complexity. ? of each group received ego-involved and ? received task-oriented instructions. Outpatient schizozphrenics were clearly superior to hospitalized patients in persistence. Persistence was greater under ego-involved than under task-oriented conditions, regardless of task or level of psychopathology, but there was no difference in persistence scores across tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Resolution of inconsistent attitude communications in normal and schizophrenic subjects.

Investigated the resolution of inconsistent attitude communications by 30 schizophrenic patients as compared to a matched group of 30 normal Ss. 12 inconsistent messages served as the experimental stimuli. The verbal channel, represented by sentences, carried 3 degrees of verbal strength—mild, moderate, and strong—used for both the positive and negative conditions. The nonverbal channel was vocal tone, held constant at a moderate strength, independently assessed with a band-pass filter. It was found that schizophrenics resolved more to the verbal channel than did normals. Schizophrenics showed a trend toward increased confusion overall and were found to rate inconsistent messages with a negative vocal component as more confusing than did normal Ss. Based on the findings of this study, some general guidelines for the practicing therapist and implications for double-bind theory are discussed. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of auditory feedback in canary song development.

Describes studies conducted with an inbred strain of Belgian "Wasserschlager" canaries bred selectively by aviculturalists in Europe for particular patterns of singing behavior. As in other songbirds, early deafening had drastic effects on the song of the roller canary, a caudueline finch, resulting in a song that was much simpler and more variable than the normal. The repertoire of syllable types was reduced from 30 to a mean of 5.0. Loud white noise was successfully used as a reversible method of cutting off auditory feedback from vocal behavior. Although suffering permanent elevation of hearing thresholds, Ss reared in noise to 200 days, singing at first like deaf Ss, subsequently increased their syllable repertoires significantly. Ss reared in noise to weaning at 40 days, again partly deaf, achieved a normal repertoire size when stimulated with a singing adult. Without such stimulation the repertoire was significantly reduced, showing that canary song is not fully innate. Although abnormal, the song of deaf canaries retained more species-specific features than did the song of emberizine sparrows when the songs developed without auditory feedback. Results are interpreted in terms of a sensory template theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Immediate feedback, delayed feedback, and perceptual cues and inquiry during verbal interactions.

Evaluated the effectiveness of diverse ways of teaching an interpersonal inquiry technique. Using 5 experimental groups of male undergraduates and a videotape technique, the impact of delayed feedback, immediate feedback, and perceptual cues was separated. When Ss were exposed to delayed feedback plus perceptual cues, they learned at a significantly higher level than when receiving immediate feedback. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Continuous intense noise masks auditory feedback and inner speech.

During World War II, the late S. S. Stevens (1972) concluded that continuous intense noise does not degrade human performance, except by masking auditory cues. In the 1950s (1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958), D. E. Broadbent claimed that continuous intense noise does affect people directly, by a mechanism other than masking. But recent experimental checks indicate that masking of the auditory feedback cues occurred in Broadbent's early experiments and in experiments reported subsequently by others. The auditory feedback tells the man that his response has been recorded. This is a help when there is a confusing directional relationship between control and display, when the control buttons are difficult to locate, and when considerable control pressure is required. Sometimes the auditory feedback helps to augment inadequate visual feedback. The remaining experiments in which continuous intense noise reliably degrades performance involve verbal working memory. Here, the noise can be said to interfere with or mask inner speech. Yet current explanations of the detrimental effects of continuous intense noise usually follow Broadbent and ignore masking in favor of nonspecific concepts like distraction, the funneling of attention, or overarousal. (70 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)