QUE: explanation through exploration

QUE, QUerying the Expert system, is designed to provide a collaborative exploratory environment for a variety of types of users of expert systems. Explanation in intelligent systems has long been the subject of research from a number of different approaches, each of which has shown promise as well as problems. This paper describes how QUE, which is currently under development, approaches the problem of providing explanation by providing tools for both developers and users that enable explanation and user understanding of the underlying expert system's reasoning.     

Control principles in flexible manufacturing

Flexible manufacturing systems present a setting in which application of control concepts can be crucial. Today, some concepts are in place where needed, some are waiting to be applied, and some are yet to be created. This paper is a status report on FMS control technology, based on ongoing work at the The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in the development of decision support systems for FMSs.     

Relaxation of extrinsic and intrinsic stresses in germanium substrates with silicon films

Si films were deposited on Ge substrates at 400°C by two different Physical Vapor Deposition techniques: (A) ion beam sputtering and (B) magnetron sputtering. The intrinsic stresses in the as-deposited films were measured to be compressive and much greater in samples (A), about −1500 to −2000 MPa than in samples (B), about −300 to −500 MPa. The substrates were subsequently exposed to thermal treatments for varying times at 800°C. In the lower stressed (B) samples, the films had relaxed and reduced the overall curvature of the structure whereas in the high stresses (A) samples, an irreversible large increase in the substrate curvature was found to occur. This indicated that plastic deformation in the Ge substrates itself had occurred.     

Heritability and psychological tests.

Comments on M. B. Jones's (see record 1971-07242-001) article advocating the use of heritability (HER) as a criterion in psychological test construction, pointing out a disadvantage of using HER as a criterion. One cannot maximize the HER of an intelligence test and then use that test to demonstrate that intelligence is inherited. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of cuing on recall from categorized word lists.

Explored the retrieval-deficit hypothesis by comparing free-recall under cued and noncued conditions in 2 groups of 36 5- and 8-yr-olds. On a 16-word list containing either 2, 4, or 8 categories, Ss received 2 trials of noncued recall. The 2nd trial was immediately followed by a test for cued recall. A comparison between cued recall performance and noncued recall performance on Trial 2 indicates that the younger children benefited more than the older children from the cuing procedure. For both age groups, there were effects of cuing on both the number of categories recalled and the number of items per category recalled. Clustering was observed at both age-levels but appeared unrelated to recall performance. Some of the results are discussed in connection with a retrieval deficit hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A picture integration task for measuring iconic memory in schizophrenics.

Two previous studies by the 1st author et al (1977) and G. Sperling (1960) using different techniques (partial report and backward masking) have found at least some subgroups of schizophrenics deficient in iconic memory. Both hypothesized that the icon in some schizophrenics might be either weakly formed, limited in capacity, or abnormal in duration, but neither study was able to test the qualities of the icon independent of possible transfer difficulties. The present study with 50 male 18–55 yr old psychiatric patients (35 schizophrenics and 15 nonpsychotics) developed a picture integration task that was analogous to C. W. Eriksen and J. F. Collins's (1973) random dot integration. With this task, the capacity and decay of the icon independent of transfer to short-term store was assessed. The icon itself was found intact in all schizophrenics. Other explanations are suggested for schizophrenics' inadequate partial report and backward masking performance. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is hostility linked with affiliation among males and with achievement among females? A critique of Pollak and Gilligan.

Attempted to replicate and to clarify methodologically an investigation by S. Pollak and C. Gilligan (see record 1982-23594-001). Those investigators reported sex differences in violence imagery to TAT pictures depicting affiliation and achievement situations. Pollak and Gilligan concluded that men perceive danger in situations of affiliation whereas women perceive danger in situations of achievement. The present study demonstrated that Pollak and Gilligan incorrectly classified TAT cards into motivational categories, which may have resulted in incorrect inferences. In addition, their findings could not be replicated when 4 different systems for classifying TAT cards into motivational categories were used with 204 undergraduates. Other potential sources of error in their research, including a restrictive scoring scheme for hostility, unusual instructions, and failure to control for sex role in the TAT pictures, did not influence the results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)