Hypnotically induced limb anesthesia and adaptation to displacing prisms: Replication requires adherence to critical procedures.

N. P. Spanos et al (see record 1981-27289-001) reported a failure to confirm the results of an experiment on prism adaptation reported by the present authors (see record 1981-06956-001) that required Ss to adapt to a prismatically displaced environment when their adapting limb was hypnotically anesthetized. The present authors argue that the failure of Spanos et al to replicate their findings is due to their failure to duplicate the critical conditions of the experiment. (7 ref) (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)     

Naturally occurring mood and learning: Comment on Hasher, Rose, Zacks, Sanft, and Doren.

Comments on the failure of L. Hasher et al (see record 1986-03061-001) to find mood-congruent learning (MCL), which occurs when Ss learn more about materials that are congruent with their moods (e.g., depressed Ss learn more sad material). Hasher et al argued that moderately depressed college students may be qualitatively different from clinically depressed patients and mood-induced Ss, in whom MCL has been observed. Although the present authors accept the findings of Hasher et al, they suggest that MCL may be a general though small effect that is present among normal college students as well. (54 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Component and pattern information in adaptive networks.

M. A. Gluck and G. H. Bower (see record 1989-00340-001) presented an adaptive network model of human classification in which associative weights are modified according to R. A. Rescorla and A. R. Wagner (1972) conditioning theory, a special case of the Widrow-Hoff/LMS learning rule. Presenting empirical data from a series of artificial medical classification tasks, we argued that the network model predicts results that were unanticipated, given prevailing alternative theories of category learning. We consider here some alternative interpretations of this data suggested by D. R. Shanks (see record 1990-27514-001) and argue that they are not sufficiently compelling when compared to the network model's treatment of the data from all the experiments presented in our earlier study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why models rather than rules give a better account of propositional reasoning: A reply to Bonatti and to O'Brien, Braine, and Yang.

D. P. O'Brien et al (see record 1995-08272-001) argue that the mental model theory of propositional reasoning is easy to refute, and they report 3 experiments that they believe falsify the theory. In contrast, L. Bonatti (see record 1995-08253-001) argues that the model theory is too flexible to be falsified. It is shown that the experiments by O'Brien et al do not refute the model theory and that Bonatti's claims are ill founded. Formal rule theories of propositional reasoning have 3 major weaknesses in comparison with the model theory: (1) They have no decision procedure; (2) they lack predictive power, providing no account of several robust phenomena (e.g., erroneous conclusions tend to be consistent with the premises); and (3) as a class of theories, they are difficult to refute experimentally. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On sending artifact in search of artifact: Reply to McDonald, Harris, and Maher.

Two studies are reported that show the P. J. McDonald et al (see record 1983-25674-001) critique of the present authors' (see record 1981-25503-001) earlier explanation for the arousal–self-awareness link to be mistaken. In Study 1 with 57 Ss, arousal-induced attention to self was demonstrated in a field setting devoid of any of the artifactual covariates of arousal induction suggested by McDonald et al. In Study 2, a replication of the McDonald et al experiment was conducted in which a crucial manipulation check was included; their study was burdened by the very artifact they claimed might exist in the present authors'. Slow running created self-focus through unusualness and embarrassment, whereas fast running led to self-focus via arousal. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When selective adaptation and contrast effects are distinct: A reply to Diehl, Kluender, and Parker.

Two alternative conceptualizations of selective adaptation with speech have recently received attention: the adaptation level theory (AL) outlined by R. L. Diehl (see record 1981-05067-001) and a 2-stage model outlined by the 1st author and P. Jusczyk (see record 1982-00351-001). Diehl et al (see record 1986-05428-001) reported evidence of streaming in selective adaptation and claimed that their results provide a counterdemonstration to recent studies that have argued against the AL approach. It is shown how the Diehl et al results can be accounted for by both the 2-stage model and AL theory. Results are presented from a study with 74 undergraduates that compared adaptation and paired-comparison procedures. These results are precisely as predicted by the 2-stage model, but they cannot be accounted for by AL theory. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Expectancy": Sleight-of-hand mentalism, not mechanism or process.

Replies to comments by J. W. Fagen (see record 1994-08950-001) on the article by J. L. Gewirtz and M. Peláez-Nogueras (see record 1993-12989-001), which concerned reinforcement as a central principle of behavior change in infants. Gewirtz and Peláez-Nogueras state that they did not claim that all behavior is learned through operant reinforcement contingencies. Further, they question the necessity of moving beyond basic reinforcement and derivative principles to the realm of intrapsychic concepts such as the "violation of contingency expectancy" to explain behavior changes resulting from operant learning procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Models of cognitive processing: A single flexible workspace or a distributed process? Comment on Carlson, Khoo, Yaure, and Schneider.

Data provided by R. A. Carlson et al (see record 1990-24447-001) show that with practice, Ss solve computerized versions of logic gates more quickly, with fewer requests for help, and more cheaply (in simulated costs). Ss reported that they changed strategies as they became more familiar with the task, began working backwards from the goal, and used larger perceptual units of analysis. Although these results provide an interesting account of the development of problem-solving expertise, they cannot be used to differentiate between single-workspace or distributed processing models of working memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using cross-modal lexical decision tasks to investigate sentence processing.

Recent investigations of sentence processing have used the cross-modal lexical decision task to show that the antecedent of a phonologically empty noun phrase (specifically, WH-trace) is reactivated at the trace position. G. McKoon et al (see record 1995-04309-001) claimed that (1) a design feature concerning the choice of related and unrelated targets is a possible confound in this work and (2) the conclusions drawn from this previous research are therefore called into question. These claims are considered in light of both the McKoon et al experimental findings and the results of the J. L. Nicol et al experiments in which linguistic materials are tested. Nicol et al argue that their results may be due to the nature of their materials, and that a follow-up experiment reported by McKoon and R. Ratcliff (see record 1995-04308-001) used a technique that is not comparable to the cross-modal lexical decision task. It is concluded that current evidence supports the claim that structural information is used during on-line sentence processing and that the cross-modal technique is sensitive to this. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement and training of AVC discrimination skills: Independent confirmation and extension.

Describes the AVC test of discrimination skills developed by N. Kerr et al (see record 1981-23872-001) and presents 2 validation studies of the test. In Study 1, 135 mentally handicapped Ss (aged 17–60 yrs) were assessed on all 6 levels of the AVC and 42 Ss were retested at 3-mo follow-up. Results are consistent with the findings of Kerr et al and support the AVC's reliability and resistance of AVC behaviors to change without systematic training. Study 2 examined the potential of the AVC for predicting performance of 6 severely retarded Ss (aged 21–50; Stanford-Binet IQs 30–36) who were learning a vocational assembly task. Findings reveal that brief training sessions were as effective as extended ones in teaching the tasks and that the AVC was an accurate predictor of Ss' performance. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of syntax in human sentence parsing: Evidence against a structure-based proposal mechanism.

In 1992, D. C. Mitchell et al (see record 1992-18602-001) presented new evidence to suggest that contextual information does not influence the parser's initial decisions. It was suggested, however, that if sufficient material separates the choice point from the point of syntactic disambiguation, the processor may have sufficient time to revoke an initial structure-based decision in favor of a more contextually compatible analysis, and so avoid the garden path. Mitchell et al described a reading time experiment that they claim is incompatible with an initial context-based decision. In the present article the authors argue that the Mitchell et al contexts were in fact ineffective. An experiment based on a subset of the Mitchell et al design, but with differently structured contexts is described, and eye movement data that are compatible with the claim that contextual information can influence the parser's initial decisions are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress-disorder symptoms in Vietnam and Korean war veterans: A commentary on Thienes-Hontos, Watson, and Kucala.

P. Thienes-Hontos et al (see record 1982-28346-001) concluded that stress disorder is neither unique nor particularly frequent among Vietnam veteran patients. However, the present author suggests that a close examination of their Ss and procedures casts serious doubt on the grounds for this conclusion. Although Thienes-Hontos et al note some of the methodological shortcomings in their study, they underemphasize the degree to which the problems prevent a confident interpretation of the results. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The other learning process in substance abuse: Comment on Alessi, Roll, Reilly, and Johanson (2002).

The results presented in the article by S. M. Alessi, J. M. Roll, M. P. Reilly, and C.-E. Johanson (see record 2002-12827-002) suggest that the reinforcing impact of diazepam can change as a function of the participant's experience with the drug. The data fit nicely with a long tradition in learning theory that has shown the effects of reinforcers can depend crucially on what the organism has been able to learn about them. Often, that learning reflects an associative process like the one involved in Pavlovian conditioning. The hypothesis that preference for diazepam increased in the Alessi et al. study because the drug was associated with money would benefit from additional experiments that include control conditions isolating the role of the Pavlovian drug-money contingency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Data base or data bias?

Presents evidence from researchers (M. Straus et al [1980] and M. Schulman [1979]) that refutes L. E. Walker's (see record 1989-26311-001) claim that most violence by women is a reaction to men's violence against them. Straus et al found that among couples reporting violence, in 24% of the cases the violence was unilateral by the woman, and in 27% of the cases the violence was unilateral by the man. In a study with all female Ss, Schulman found that among those reporting violence, in 30% of the cases the violence was unilateral by the woman, and in 23% of the cases women reported unilateral violence by the male. Incidence by type of violence reported varied little as to male-to-female or female-to-male. (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)     

If you are gender schematic, all members of the opposite sex look alike.

96 male and 96 female undergraduates classified on the basis of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory were asked to recall "who said what" after listening to a taped conversation either among 3 men and 3 women (the gender study) or among 3 Blacks and 3 Whites (the race study). Analysis of Ss' errors revealed that both sex-typed and cross-sex-typed Ss confused the members of the opposite sex with one another significantly more than androgynous or undifferentiated Ss did. In contrast, no individual differences related to sex typing emerged in the race study, which suggests that the greater gender schematicity of sex-typed individuals is specific to gender, as S. L. Bem's (see record 1981-25685-001) gender schema theory implies. The finding that cross-sex-typed Ss were significantly more gender schematic than anyone else and the apparent inconsistency of the data with the self-schema theory of H. Markus et al (see record 1982-23588-001) are discussed. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Repetition effects in word and pseudoword identification: Comment on Salasoo, Shiffrin, and Feustel.

Discusses 2 recent articles by T. C. Feustel et al (see record 1984-08643-001) and A. Salasoo et al (see record 1986-03032-001), which argue that word identification is based on episodic and semantic memory. Feustel et al argued for separate processing stages affected by repetition (episodic memory) and lexicality (semantic memory). To account for the finding that number of repetitions interacts with lexicality, Salasoo et al invoked the same 2 types of memory, operating in parallel rather than serially. It is argued that data by Salasoo et al are compatible with a wide variety of competing theories, including some that do not involve episodic memory. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Separable effects of factors on speed and accuracy: Memory scanning, lexical decision, and choice tasks.

Contends that experimental factors selectively influencing serial mental processes will have additive effects on RT and log percent correct. Further, if such factors have additive effects on RT in one experiment, they will also have additive effects in an experiment with different error rates. The contention is illustrated in a memory-scanning task reported by B. L. Lively (see record 1973-06015-001), a choice task reported by S. P. Shwartz et al (see record 1978-11552-001), and a lexical decision task reported by R. E. Schuberth et al (see record 1982-00388-001). Findings show that factors had additive effects on RT, only if they had additive effects on log percent correct, except for the speed-payoff condition in Lively's experiment. It is suggested that in this condition, the process durations were not stochastically independent. Four appendices illustrate the calculations. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)