Plausible models of alphabetic search: Reply to Scharroo, Leeuwenberg, Stalmeier, and Vos (1994).

D. Klahr et al (see record 1984-05777-001) proposed a model of the cognitive processes involved in alphabetic retrieval in terms of a 2-level hierarchy of forward-linked associations. J. Scharroo et al (see record 1994-24216-001) attempt to demonstrate that a simple associative model is more plausible, more parsimonious, and a better fit to the data than is the Klahr et al model. In this commentary the author argues that Scharroo et al misrepresent the way in which Klahr et al evaluated their model and that they fail to demonstrate the superiority of a simple associative model. In addition, it is suggested that a composite model that integrates the distinctive features of both models would advance understanding of the process of alphabetic retrieval. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alphabetic search: Comment on Klahr, Chase, and Lovelace (1983).

Response time (RT) curves were obtained from Ss who were instructed to search for following or preceding letters in the alphabet with respect to given stimulus letters. To describe the shape of these curves, D. Klahr et al (see record 1984-05777-001) proposed a search model. It was assumed that the alphabet was internally represented by a number of chunks of a few letters. Klahr et al assumed that serial searches occurred along 2 hierarchical levels: (1) a search for the correct chunk and (2) a search of the letters within the chunk. The Klahr et al model predicted an ascending sawtooth-shaped RT curve. However, according to the authors' analysis of the data, the RT curves did not show the expected sawtooth shapes. In order to find out whether the lack of empirical support for the model was an artifact of averaging the data, the experiment was replicated. It was found that individual RT curves did not show the shape characteristics that were predicted by the Klahr et al model either. The data supported the hypothesis that the access of letters was direct without any hierarchy, and that the retrieval of successive letters was determined by the variable associations between subsequent letters. (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)     

Alphabetic sequence decisions for letter pairs with separations of one to three letters.

Tested the alphabet storage and retrieval theory of D. Klahr et al (1983) for applicability to letter-order decisions. Ss judged whether letter pairs with sequential separations of 1, 2, or 3 letters were in correct or incorrect order. Ss made decisions either in a continuous- or intermittent-attention mode. The results of alphabetic letter-order decisions with a letter separation of 1 were in conformance with the theory of Klahr et al in both attention modes. However, at letter separations of 2 and 3 letters, Ss made decisions that were more compatible with a symbolic-distance mechanism. Speculation on how Ss could make alphabetic-order decisions in either a memory-consultation or a symbolic-distance manner is made. (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)     

Memory for serial order revisited.

The critiques by D. J. Mewhort et al (see record 1994-36081-001) and J. S. Nairne and I. Neath (see record 1994-36082-001) identified at least 6 potentially serious problems with S. Lewandowsky and B. B. Murdock's (see record 1989-14457-001) Theory of Distributed Associative Memory (TODAM) model of memory for serial order. It is shown that the flaws attributed to the memory component of TODAM are less serious than claimed, whereas the problems attributed to the response selection stage necessitated a process implementation of the previously unspecified deblurring mechanism. The deblurring process, implemented by a dynamic autoassociative network, is shown to handle most of the problems identified by the critics without imperiling TODAM's ability to handle basic serial position data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Looking as strongly as we should in the right places: Reply to Norcross and Rossi (1994).

In response to J. C. Norcross and J. S. Rossi's (see record 1994-38252-001) comment on our article (D. A. Shapiro et al; see record 1994-38260-001), we note that research as reported does not fully represent the processes whereby it was designed and completed. The true statistical power of an investigation reflects all the analyses carried out, not just those that get reported. The power of our analyses was sufficient to address the substantive questions at issue. The importance of these questions does not depend on allegiance to equivalent outcomes of diverse therapies. The outcome phase of the Second Sheffield Psychotherapy Project is but part of its broad strategic approach to advancing our understanding of the mechanisms of change in the psychotherapies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

NIDA's HIV prevention programs.

Comments on the review by J. A. Kelly et al (see record 1994-10963-001) regarding HIV prevention programs. Programs that Kelly et al did not describe are discussed, focusing on the large-scale community trials coordinated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for injection drug users, crack users, and sex partners of drug users. R. H. Needle et al agree that stronger partnerships should be forged between research and community organizations and that dissemination of successful strategies should be improved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpreting the magnitudes of correlation coefficients.

Discusses empirical guidelines for interpreting the magnitude of correlation coefficients, a key index of effect size, in psychological studies. The author uses the work of J. Cohen (see record 1987-98267-000), in which operational definitions were offered for interpreting correlation coefficients, and examines two meta-analytic reviews (G. J. Meyer et al., see record 2001-00159-003; and M. W. Lipsey et al., see record 1994-18340-001) to arrive at the empirical guidelines. (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)     

Cognitive-behavioral treatment with and without exposure plus response prevention in the treatment of bulimia nervosa: A reply to Leitenberg and Rosen.

In this reply to H. Leitenberg and J. C. Rosen (see record 1990-12881-001), we conclude that the evidence that response prevention of vomiting adds significantly to the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment of bulimia nervosa is not strong. In this context and given the finding in our previous study (W. S. Agras et al; see record 1989-26754-001) that the addition of response prevention did not increase the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment and may have reduced it, we believe that our cautionary note concerning the addition of response prevention to cognitive-behavioral treatment should stand. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopharmacology for children and adolescents: Commentary on current issues and future challenges.

Responds to some of the major issues raised by the American Psychological Association (1992) Division 16 Task Force and by R. T. Brown et al (see record 1994-34463-001), T. Kubiszyn (see record 1994-34489-001), and S. T. DeMers (see record 1994-34471-001) concerning the role of the school psychologist in practice and in facilitating research on psychopharmacology. It is concluded that the major issues confronting school psychology as a profession include increasing its role in research on child psychotherapy, and, within the context of intervention options, biological interventions as well. Carving out a role in psychopharmacology for the school psychologists should not overshadow training in broader areas of biomedical and psychosocial interventions, nor should it limit the focus of research efforts only in these areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex bias and the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

Criticizes D. Becker and S. Lamb's (see record 1994-29756-001) paper reporting that women are more likely than men to be diagnosed as having a borderline personality disorder (BPD). Results from the previous research of D. A. Adler et al (see record 1991-15353-001), K. A. Henry and C. I. Cohen (see record 1984-06917-001) and M. R. Ford and T. A. Widiger (see PA, Vol 76: 26071), indicate that the gender of a client does not have a statistically significant effect on whether the client is given a diagnosis of BPD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addressing criticism of sex bias research on borderline personality disorder.

Replies to H. N. Garb's (see record 1996-08172-001) criticism that D. Becker and S. Lamb (see record 1994-29756-001) overlooked previous studies of sex bias in the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and overinterpreted their findings. The authors address specific methodological criticisms and discuss their study's strengths (e.g., the inclusion of psychologists and social workers as well as psychiatrists) in the context of studies by M. R. Ford and T. A. Widiger (see record 1989-26071-001), K. A. Henry and C. I. Cohen (see record 1984-06917-001), and D. A. Adler et al (see record 1991-15353-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Negative priming in a spatial localization task: Feature mismatching and distractor inhibition.

Negative priming has recently been demonstrated in tasks requiring spatial localization (S. P. Tipper et al; see record 1991-00251-001), supporting the notion that distractors are actively inhibited during selection. However, it has since been argued that this effect is caused by the appearance of mismatching identities at a single location (J. Park and N. Kanwisher; see record 1994-35939-001). The present studies show that negative priming in a spatial localization task can occur when the ignored distractor and subsequent target are identical. However, feature mismatches can also lead to negative priming. The argument is made that distractor inhibition and implicit retrieval of previously presented items together provide a better account of efficient sequential selective behavior than does either process alone. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On worthwhile icons: Reply to Di Lollo and Haber.

Responds to R. N. Haber's (see record 1986-11000-001) and V. Di Lollo's (see record 1986-10993-001) comments on the study of a procedure to estimate the worth of an icon conducted by the present author et al (see record 1986-00309-001). In response to Haber, the author maintains that icons can be spatiotopic as well as retinotopic, knowledge of icons is necessary for designing video-display systems, and ecological validity should not be a criterion for the scientific investigation of some topics. Responding to Di Lollo, the author argues that this general model does not account for several salient aspects of data by the present author et al. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Seventeen authors in search of a myth: A reply to Cohen et al.

Reviews assertions made by S. Cohen et al (see record 1990-05833-001) on smoking cessation and suggests that the article's exposition did not represent a clear interpretation of the main thrust of S. Schachter's (see record 1982-30809-001) and R. Rzewnicki and D. G. Forgays's (see record 1987-16432-001) contributions. It is further suggested that all of these data are reconcilable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

""Some misgivings about the Matching Familiar Figures Test as a measure of reflection-impulsivity": Commentary reply.

Attempts to clarify issues raised by J. Block et al (see record 1975-03118-001) regarding the conceptualization, validity, and interpretation of reflection-impulsivity. It is suggested that Block et al selectively emphasized reviews of studies on preschool rather than school-age children and did not distinguish among the various sources of anxiety that mediate performance on tests with response uncertainty. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The view from here: Rejoinder to Temoshok.

Replies to the comments of L. R. Temoshok (see record 1996-14854-001) on the article by B. L. Andersen et al (see record 1994-38031-001). The author addresses each of the points brought forth by Temoshok including: use of references, the usefulness of the biobehavioral model, and the availability of research in the cancer area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response bias and the process-dissociation procedure.

Two different approaches for treating response bias in the process-dissociation procedure were assessed: a multinomial approach proposed by A. Buchner et al (see record 1995-31816-001) and a dual-process, signal-detection approach proposed by A. P. Yonelinas et al (see record 1996-29360-001). The authors examined data presented by Buchner et al and found that, although the signal-detection-based model worked slightly better than the multinomial model, the data did not provide a strong test of either model. However, an examination of other recognition data showed that the multinomial model produced distorted estimates of recollection and familiarity, and it was unable to account for observed receiver operating characteristics (ROCs). In contrast, the dual-process, signal detection model produced unbiased estimates and was able to account for the observed ROCs. The authors also provide an overview of the general controversy surrounding the process-dissociation approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)