CARIN theory reanalysis reanalyzed: A comment on Maguire, Devereux, Costello, and Cater (2007).

P. Maguire, B. Devereux, F. Costello, and A. Cater (see record 2007-08734-012) discussed the Gagné and Shoben (1997) CARIN theory of conceptual combination and, after presenting a sample drawn from the British National Corpus and comparing the two corpora, concluded that the Gagné and Shoben corpus is too small and unrepresentative. They then discussed the mathematical model presented by Gagné and Shoben and claimed that the model does not incorporate relational competition. In this article, the authors present critical aspects of the mathematical model not considered by Maguire et al. and show that the mathematical instantiation of CARIN presented by Gagń and Shoben is, in fact, very sensitive to the number of strong competing relations. The authors then present some new comparisons between the corpora, showing that they correspond surprisingly well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Familiarity and plausibility in conceptual combination: Reply to Gagné and Spalding (2006).

E. J. Wisniewski and G. L. Murphy (see record 2004-22496-015) suggested that the apparent effects of relation frequency in C. L. Gagné and E. J. Shoben's (1997; see record 1997-02349-004) conceptual combination experiments could be explained by differences between the familiarity and plausibility of their stimuli (noun-noun phrases). However, C. L. Gagné and T. L. Spalding (see record 2006-20573-017) argued that Wisniewski and Murphy's measures of plausibility and frequency are both sensitive to relation frequency. They also suggested that the stimuli were mostly novel, such that differences in familiarity could not explain Gagné and Shoben's findings. The current authors focus on the theoretical rationale for the plausibility and familiarity variables, arguing that the original interpretation of their findings is correct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Causes and reasons in attribution theory: A conceptual critique.

Argues that although the terms cause and reason have both appeared in the attribution theory literature, they have not been adequately distinguished from each other. With the aid of some recent ideas from the philosophy of mind on the cause–reason distinction, a conceptual critique is undertaken of the way these terms have been used by attribution theorists. Two topics are considered: (a) E. E. Jones and R. E. Nisbett's (1972) ideas on actor–observer differences in causal attributions and (b) A. W. Kruglanski's (1975) criticisms of the internal–external distinction and his own endogenous–exogenous reformulation. The conceptual critique ends in a taxonomy of attributions and a plea for greater precision in the use of the terms cause and reason in this area. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modeling conceptual structure.

Reviews the book, Categories and Concepts by Edward E. Smith and Douglas L. Medin (1981). This book presents a detailed analysis of three types of models of conceptual structure. The main focus is on object concepts, such as bird, animal, chair, etc., and how these concepts are represented in the human mind. The first model considered is the classical view of concepts that goes back to Aristotle and was presupposed by most researchers in the field of concept attainment from 1920 to 1970. Seven criticisms of the classical view are presented. Although this is an excellent book, certain ways in which it might have been even better did occur to this reviewer, two of which will be mentioned here. First, the authors might have defined explicitly and succinctly what they mean by "concept" and "natural concept." Second, the authors rely primarily on categorization studies to draw inferences about concepts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The state of psychological theory as illustrated by Melzack's new conceptual nervous system model/theory: Strong on imaginativeness but weak in inference.

Melzack's (see record 1989-30022-001) paper typifies the highly imaginative conceptual contributions that he has made in psychology. Moreover, as usual, there is close attention paid to applied relevance, rather than constraining his contribution to "ivory-tower," purely academic considerations. However, in my view, it is not at all clear that the New Conceptual Nervous System (NCNS) proposed by Melzack (1989, pp. 6-13) represents a genuine scientific advance in understanding and control. What is in doubt is whether there is any strong inference possible to ensure that changes in theoretical positions are due to evidential and logical considerations, rather than merely faddish ones. As I see it, there are at least three problems that tend to prevent such strong inference-based progress. The first problem is that Melzack follows the currently fashionable practice of using the terms "theory" and "model" (and, at times "approach") as if they were equivalent. The second problem is that although the central explanatory concepts of the new position are more complicated and imaginative than those of the old explanations, it is not clear that they are any less vague. The third problem is apparent from a consideration of the general structure of the paper with regard to the implications of the new CNS position. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distractibility in the conceptual performance of schizophrenics.

This study explores the role of interfering factors in the conceptual performance of schizophrenics. 40 schizophrenic patients at the Downey Hospital and 25 normals were used as Ss. They were required to sort cards containing 4 figures with 3 four-figured standard cards. One figure on each standard card was arbitrarily designated as correct for sorting. More of the schizophrenics than the normals used the incorrect "distracter" as a basis for sorting, even when conceptual sorting was required. The results support the hypothesis that schizophrenics fail conceptual tests because response to distracters prevents the demonstration of his concept-forming ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptual concomitants of conceptual reorganization.

Scheerer held that perceptual reorganization occurs as a concomitant of an induced shift in performance on a conceptual sorting test. This study provided an empirical test of Scheerer's claim for a group of mentally retarded Ss. A perceptual test which utilizes the phi phenomenon was administered to 12 retarded Ss who successfully made the shift on the sorting test (the Pass Group) and 12 who did not (the Fail Group). The Pass Group showed evidence of a highly significant perceptual reorganization, whereas no such evidence was found for the Fail Group. These results strongly supported Scheerer's claim, but for a group which he believed incapable of conceptualization and perceptual reorganization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of deficient reporting on meta-analysis: A conceptual framework and reanalysis.

Presents a framework for studying the influence of reporting quality on meta-analytic results in which 3 sources of reporting deficiency are identified: quality (adequacy) of publicizing, quality of macrolevel reporting, and quality of the review process in a different way. To assess the influence of reporting quality empirically, 25 reports were sampled from the psychotherapy meta-analysis reported by M. L. Smith et al (1980) and recorded by the present authors. Two sources of information pertinent to reporting quality were established: interrater reliabilities and confidence judgments. Reanalyses incorporating reliability corrections and confidence judgments suggested that deficient reporting injects considerable noise into meta-analytic data and can lead to spurious conclusions. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexuality after spinal cord injury: A conceptual model based on women's narratives.

Objective: To investigate how women experience and conceptualize their sexuality after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Research Method: Semistructured interviews and member checks with 24 women with SCI (ages 18-67) were conducted and content analyzed. Results: A conceptual model of sexual domains is proposed. Proposed domains are self- versus other focus, genital versus whole-body focus, physical versus holistic intimacy, sexuality as bodily versus mental phenomenon, exuberance versus negativity, and past versus present focus. Domains are defined and illustrated with narrative excerpts. They are conceptualized as fluid and nonexclusive. Conclusion: Endorsement of domains can change through ongoing adjustment to injury and life events. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reflection-impulsivity: The generality and dynamics of conceptual tempo.

3rd-grade children previously classified as either reflective or impulsive were administered a serial learning task under 3 different conditions. After administration of 2 lists, 1 group was told their performance was poor, a 2nd was told that the next lists were difficult, and controls were given no special communication. Impulsive Ss in all groups reported more incorrect words before and after experimental intervention. Reflective boys who were told the next lists were difficult showed the largest increase in incorrect words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Frequency of Relation Type as a Determinant of Conceptual Combination: A Reanalysis.

C. L. Gagné and E. J. Shoben (1997) proposed that concepts are combined via external relations and that lexical entries include information about which relations are frequent for every modifying noun. As evidence for this view, they showed that relations associated with the modifier affected the interpretation of combinations in several studies in which subjects had to decide whether the combinations were sensible. The authors evaluated the methods and stimuli used in Gagné and Shoben's experiments and present findings suggesting that the effect of relation frequency is likely due to differences between the familiarity and plausibility of different combinations. Although relation frequency could be involved in conceptual combination, the authors concluded that better evidence is needed for this variable, controlling for other more general differences between the combinations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrusion of associative responses into schizophrenic conceptual performance.

One normal and one schizophrenic group, each consisting of 32 adult males, were required to sort cards bearing the name of a common object with 3 guide-card words—one sharing a concept with the sorting-card word, one with an associate connection to it, and one which was irrelevant. The schizophrenics were expected to make more associative errors than the normals. The results indicated that both difficulty in forming concepts and susceptibility to associative distraction are in part responsible for the fact that schizophrenics show more associative intrusions than do normals. 23 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of conceptual processing on familiarity-based recognition.

Two experiments compared the impact of conceptual and perceptual processing at encoding on the familiarity-based recognition of items without preexisting conceptual representations. The stimuli for the experiments were visual designs and nonsense letter strings. The process dissociation procedure was used in conjunction with the process dissociation equations and the Dual Process Signal Detection model to assess the contributions of familiarity-based recognition and recollection in the recognition of the stimuli. A conceptual processing advantage was observed in both experiments: familiarity-based recognition was enhanced more by conceptual than by perceptual processing at encoding. It is suggested that the results may be problematic for the view that conceptual priming underlies the conceptual processing advantage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Postdisaster stress in the United States and Mexico: A cross-cultural test of the multicriterion conceptual model of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Data on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were collected 6 months after Hurricanes Paulina (N/&=/&200; Mexico) and Andrew (non-Hispanic n/&=/&270; United States) using the Revised Civilian Mississippi Scale. A 4-factor measurement model that represented the accepted multicriterion conceptualization of PTSD fit the data of the U.S. and Mexican samples equally well. The 4 factors of Intrusion, Avoidance, Numbing, and Arousal correlated significantly and equivalently with severity of trauma in each sample. A single construct explained much of the covariance of the symptom factors in each sample. However, modeling PTSD as a unidimensional construct masked differences between samples in symptom severity. With severity of trauma controlled, the Mexican sample was higher in Intrusion and Avoidance, whereas the U.S. sample was higher in Arousal. The results suggest that PTSD is a meaningful construct to study in Latin American societies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multivariate analysis of the conceptual behavior of schizophrenic and brain-damaged patients.

A cross-validation of the findings of previous research by the authors and Grassi (see 33: 3260) with regard to the conceptual behavior of schizophrenics and brain-damaged Ss. The multivariate analysis involves the conceptualization of a given response along coordinate axes of 2 continua: open-closed, public-private. The previous findings are reproduced, discussed, and compared and related to the Grassi findings. 15 refs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Object constancy in schizophrenia: the enhancement of symbolic objects and conceptual stability.

The hypothesis that symbolic value has a greater influence on size judgments made by schizophrenic patients than on those made by controls was confirmed. The hypothesis that paranoid schizophrenics show greater constriction in their judgments of the range of sizes was confirmed; however, the hypothesis that non-paranoid schizophrenics show greater fluidity in their range of judgments than do the controls was not confirmed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The developmental relations between conceptual and procedural knowledge: A multimethod approach.

Interactions between conceptual and procedural knowledge influence the development of mathematical competencies. However, after decades of research, these interrelations are still under debate, and empirical results are inconclusive. The authors point out a source of these problems. Different kinds of knowledge and competencies only show up intertwined in behavior, making it hard to measure them validly and independently of each other. A multimethod approach was used to investigate the extent of these problems. A total of 289 fifth and sixth graders’ conceptual and procedural knowledge about decimal fractions was measured by 4 common hypothetical measures of each kind of knowledge. Study 1 tested whether treatments affected the 2 groups of measures in consistent ways. Study 2 assessed, across 3 measurement points, whether conceptual and procedural knowledge could be modeled as latent factors underlying the measures. The results reveal substantial problems with the validities of the measures, which might have been present but gone undetected in previous studies. A solution to these problems is essential for theoretical and practical progress in the field. The potential of the multimethod approach for this enterprise is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of personality and situational cautiousness on conceptual behavior.

An assessment of the degree to which cautiousness ("the tendency to behave in a manner designed to avoid potential failure or disapproval experiences… often at the expense of other satisfactions") affected responsiveness to TAT cards and MAPS. Degree of cautiousness was assessed by performance on the Rotter Level of Aspiration Board (see 19: 2261). Ss were then administered a test of social acceptability of attitudes and were either told that they scored low (failure experience), scored high (success experience), or were given no feedback (neutral). Comparisons of cautious (C) and noncautious (NC) Ss revealed that degree of cautiousness distinguished C and NC Ss in the neutral situation only. The finding supported the assumption that cautiousness, as a personality trait, could also be used to describe conceptual behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hypothesis theory and the development of conceptual learning.

Examines the assumptions of hypothesis theory and its applicability to current understanding of developmental processes. Research bearing on 5 general issues is examined: types of hypotheses and how they are detected; the acquisition of hypotheses through cognitive or conditioning mechanisms; learning, sampling assumptions, and rule-guided behavior; feedback variables, including types of feedback (e.g., tangible vs symbolic) and consequences of positive vs negative feedback; and S variables, including cognitive style, reading level, and MA. (4 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)