A microgenetic approach to perception and thought.

"The present paper has been prepared as a microgenetic approach to perception and thought. Within this approach, thoughts and percepts are believed to undergo a very brief, but theoretically important, microdevelopment. Evidence was offered both to support the possibility that such microdevelopments do occur in the normal process of thinking and perceiving and to suggest some of the formal characteristics of such evolutions. Further, an attempt was made to delineate some of the possible implications of this approach for cognitive functioning in abnormal individuals and normal individuals under atypical conditions." 139-item bibliography. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A microgenetic approach to the amnesic syndrome.

Acontinuation of a program of research on Korsakoff's disease. Tachistoscopically presented stimuli of increasing clarity were used to assess basic cognitive functions. Impaired capacity in cognition was seen to be an associative symptom to amnesia. The findings are related to Hebb's neurophysiological model. (22 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Commonality and stability of word association responses in good and poor premorbid schizophrenics.

The validity of the commonality of response construct and stability of associations over time were investigated in 18 good premorbid schizophrenics (GPS), 18 poor premorbids (PPS), and 18 tuberculosis control Ss (TB). The Kent-Rosanoff Word Association Test was administered on 2 occasions separated by 48 hrs. Results showed TB = GPS > PPS on both commonality of association and stability of responses. This finding suggests the inadequacy of the notion of a universal deficiency in schizophrenic associational processes. Differences were also found between the cultural response style (C) and the idiosyncratic response style (I) on stability, with TBI = GPSI > PPSI and TBC = GPSC > PPSC. Regardless of presence or absence of psychopathology, C was greater than I on the stability measure. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Commonality and stability of word association responses in good and poor premorbid schizophrenics": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by Paul R. Dokecki, Lewis G. Polidoro, and Rue L. Cromwell (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1965, 70, 312-316). On page 315, there are statistical inaccuracies in the section entitled Stability Scores (SS). In the simple randomized design analysis of variance the F and t values should have been larger. Specifically, F = 4.10 (df = 2/51, p PPS (t = 2.47, df = 51, p PPS (t = 2.47, df = 51, p I on stability (F = 9.51, df = 1/48, p 1965-16191-001.) The validity of the commonality of response construct and stability of associations over time were investigated in 18 good premorbid schizophrenics (GPS), 18 poor premorbids (PPS), and 18 tuberculosis control Ss (TB). The Kent-Rosanoff Word Association Test was administered on 2 occasions separated by 48 hrs. Results showed TB = GPS > PPS on both commonality of association and stability of responses. This finding suggests the inadequacy of the notion of a universal deficiency in schizophrenic associational processes. Differences were also found between the cultural response style (C) and the idiosyncratic response style (I) on stability, with TBI = GPSI > PPSI and TBC = GPSC > PPSC. Regardless of presence or absence of psychopathology, C was greater than I on the stability measure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between anxiety and oral word association performance.

To test the comparative validity of 2 theories of anxiety (Sarason's interfering response and Spence and Taylor's drive theory), associations to word stimuli were analyzed. According to drive theory, anxiety should interfere with the number of different associations to the same word. Words that stimulate few associations should result in short reaction times and few disturbance of responsiveness and rare responses. According to interference theory there should be an effect upon association without an interaction between the degree of association value of the word and anxiety level of S. The results were interpreted as supporting Sarason's theory. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4HK68G. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of prior experimenter-subject relationships on responses to the Kent-Rosanoff word-association list in schizophrenics.

This study attempted to determine what effect prior experimenter-subject (E-S) relationships would have on schizophrenic word association. 3 groups were used. 1 group was a control. Rebuff and warmth involved a period of 3 half-hour interviews, during which E either acted warm and accepting, or cold and aloof-interested in the experiment only for the experiment's sake. It was found that Ss in the rebuff condition gave significantly more common associations after their relationship with the investigator. A number of possible interpretations for the result were suggested. These included a drive for approval as in normal children, differential levels of anxiety, or confirmation of low expectancy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A microgenetic study of simple division.

How simple division strategies develop over a short period of time was examined with a microgenetic study. Grade 5 students (mean age = 10 years, 3 months) solved simple division problems in 8 weekly sessions. Performance improved with faster and more accurate responses across the study. Consistent with R. S. Siegler's (1996) overlapping waves model, strategies varied in their use. Direct retrieval increased, retrieval of multiplication facts remained steady, and addition facts, derived facts, and special tricks marginally decreased. Consistent with previous research, multiplication fact retrieval was the most common strategy, although it was slower and more error prone than direct retrieval. Strategy variability within and across individuals was striking across all of the sessions and underscores Siegler's (1996) assertion that development is in a constant transitional state. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note on anxiety, instructions, and word association performance.

In earlier work, a word association test (WAT) was presented under 2 conditions as a "sensitive personality test" and under neutral conditions. The resultant WAT scores were correlated with 2 tests of anxiety. The present work investigates the results of presenting the WAT as a sensitive measure of intelligence rather than personality. Again, the resultant scores were correlated with measures of anxiety. Sarason's Test Anxiety Scale (1958) appeared to be more sensitive to S's anxiety in the experimental situation than Taylor's MAS or Bendig's (1956) Lack of Protection Scale. The results are related to the nature and theory of anxiety. From Psyc Abstracts 36:01:3HK53S. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physiological need, verbal frequency, and word association.

"Fifty college men and women were deprived of food and water for 0, 10, and 24 hours, and were presented with a word association list of 24 words which has been matched for commonness and need-relevance. Each S was tested only once. The results show that (a) more food, water, and neutral word association responses were made to food, water, and neutral stimulus words, respectively; (b) there was an increase in the number of food and water responses up to the tenth hour, but a decrease thereafter; and (c) with protracted periods of deprivation the number of responses pertaining to acts instrumental to need satisfaction increased while the number of responses involving the names of need satisfiers decreased." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A microgenetic study of the multiplication and division inversion concept.

This microgenetic study investigated the discovery and development of the multiplication and division concept of inversion. Little is known about multiplicative concepts relative to additive concepts, including the inversion concept. Grade 6 participants (mean age = 11 years 6 months) solved multiplication and division inversion problems (e.g., d × e/e) for several weeks. In the final week they solved inversion, modified inversion (e.g., e × d/e), and lure problems (e.g., d/e × d) to investigate transfer of knowledge. Despite years of formal arithmetic instruction and repeated exposure to inversion problems, over a third of the participants failed to discover the inversion-based shortcut whereas another third used the shortcut almost exclusively. Almost all participants had difficulty appropriately generalising the inversion concept. Current theories of mathematical understanding may need to be modified to include the developmental complexities of multiplicative concepts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proverb word counts as a measure of overinclusiveness in delusional schizophrenics.

A partial replication was conducted of Payne's (1964) report concerning the relationship between delusions and overinclusive thinking as measured by proverbs word counts. Word counts were made of Gorham Proverbs Test responses given by age and intelligence-matched groups of 21 delusional schizophrenics, 21 nondelusional schizophrenics, and 21 nonschizophrenic, nondelusional psychiatric in-patients. 23 paranoid, 23 nonparanoid, and 23 nonschizophrenic control Ss, similarly matched, from the same population, were also compared. No significant differences in proverb word counts were found among the groups. Although the possibility of increased irrelevant side remarks could not be excluded, paranoid or delusional schizophrenics do not produce higher proverb relevant word counts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Microgenetic analysis of word associations in schizophrenic and brain-damaged patients.

Associations to the Kent-Rosanoff list of words were categorized as being "mature" or "immature" following the schema outlined by previous research (see 33: 8338). In that research, some support was found for the hypothesis that schizophrenics respond in a more "immature" manner than normals. The present study repeats the former one, adding a second group for comparison (a group of organics) in addition to the control group of normals. The results did not support the former study. Organics were found to be perseverative in "meaningful" responses to the word stimuli, but not to repeat irrelevant ones. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4JQ64M. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A genetic approach to the interpretation and evaluation of the process-reactive distinction in schizophrenia.

The hypothesis tested was that schizophrenics manifesting the "process" syndrome show more regressive and immature thought processes than those showing the "reactive" syndrome. 24 male and 27 female hospitalized schizophrenics who were newly admitted served as Ss. Social history data were evaluated in terms of the process-reaction dimension and their psychological test results were evaluated for thought processes. Instruments used were the Elgin Prognostic Scale, Rorschach, and Benjamin Proverbs. A significant correlation was found between the Rorschach genetic level score and the Elgin Prognostic Scale for male and female Ss. Only for the male Ss was the hypothesis confirmed with the Proverbs test. 29 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associative interference in the verbal learning performance of schizophrenics and normals.

Groups of recently admitted VA schizophrenics and VA nonpsychiatric patients (17 per group) were given 1 of 2 paired-associate lists. The experimental list consisted of pairs in which each stimulus had a minimal assocative connection with its response but was highly associated with another response on the list, as judged by word association norms. Comparisons of performance on this list with that on a parallel control list indicated that the presence of the cross-associates resulted in significant performance decrement (p     

Response faults in word association as a function of response entropy.

"Response faults in word association were found to be highly correlated with the entropy of the response hierarchy and with the number of different responses available to the stimulus words. This finding throws doubt on the notion that response faults are largely attributable to interference by emotional factors, in word association. Studies of personal values and perceptual defense which have used words equated on familiarity by the Thorndike-Lorge word count, but which have not taken into account the response hierarchies of the stimulus words, may bear re-evaluation in terms of this variable." 25 references (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A therapeutic approach to schizophrenics of extreme pathology: An operant-interpersonal method.

Chronic withdrawn schizophrenics were exposed to operant conditioning procedures. Involved were gradually increasingly complex psychomotor tasks involving minimal verbal interpersonal communication. Ultimately, the patient performed a relatively complex assignment with a partner (interpersonal behavior). Improvement in clinical behavior (as assessed by tests, interview, and ward observations) was compared under the operant-interpersonal conditions and under verbal therapy, recreational therapy, and control (no specific therapy) conditions. Significant improvement was noted under the operant-interpersonal conditions as compared to the others, those patients with better premorbid adjustment (reactive schizophrenia) faring best. Some uncommunicative patients became worse with verbal therapy, but in the 15-week period, only 1 patient improved enough under experimental conditions to be transferred to an open ward. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of instructional set and need for social approval on commonality of word association responses.

This study investigated the effect of various instructional sets (speed, relaxed time instructions, and "set popular" instructions) on commonality of word associations. Findings were generally supportive of the hypotheses: significantly more common associations were given under speed as compared to relaxed instructions, Ss were able to significantly increase their commonality scores under a set to give popular responses, and need for social approval was differentially related to commonality under relaxed but not under speed instructions. Contrary to a suggestion of Jenkins, social sensitivity (as reflected in the need for approval measure) was not related to the ability to increase one's commonality score under "set popular" instructions. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perception of disturbing and neutral words through the autokinetic word technique.

Disturbing and neutral words were selected individually for Ss by means of a word association test. It was then suggested to these Ss that an apparently moving but actually motionless point of light in a completely darkened room (autokinetic effect) would write a sentence containing a given word. The given word was either a disturbing or neutral word. The Ss reported perceiving fewer of the disturbing words. Those disturbing words that were perceived had a greater latency than perceived neutral words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships of measures of anxiety and experimental instructions to word association test performance.

The performance of Ss of differing anxiety levels on a word association task under 2 instructional conditions was questioned. The two sets of instructions used… differed in that one set informed S, prior to the word association task, he was about to take a personality test, whereas the other set of instructions was neutral. These instructions and the anxiety measures were then related (a) to S's ability to remember word associations he had given and (b) to the agreement of S's responses with those of normative group… . The results were discussed in terms of an interfering response interpretation of anxiety." 15 refs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Immediate and delayed effects of word frequency and word length on eye movements in reading: A reversed delayed effect of word length.

Three experiments examined the effects in sentence reading of varying the frequency and length of an adjective on (a) fixations on the adjective and (b) fixations on the following noun. The gaze duration on the adjective was longer for low frequency than for high frequency adjectives and longer for long adjectives than for short adjectives. This contrasted with the spillover effects: Gaze durations on the noun were longer when adjectives were low frequency but were actually shorter when the adjectives were long. The latter effect, which seems anomalous, can be explained by three mechanisms: (a) Fixations on the noun are less optimal after short adjectives because of less optimal targeting; (b) shorter adjectives are more difficult to process because they have more neighbors; and (c) prior fixations before skips are less advantageous places to extract parafoveal information. The viability of these hypotheses as explanations of this reverse length effect on the noun was examined in simulations using an updated version of the E-Z Reader model (A. Pollatsek, K. Reichle, & E. D. Rayner, 2006c; E. D. Reichle, A. Pollatsek, D. L. Fisher, & K. Rayner, 1998). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)