Vision and touch: A reconsideration of conflict between the two senses.

Although many studies have supported I. Rock and J. Victor's (see record 1964-07119-001) conclusion that visual-tactual conflicts will be resolved in favor of vision, the present study with 30 undergraduates presents evidence that methodological problems may have produced a bias in favor of vision. An experimental group examined blocks of wood of several sizes both visually and tactually, while 2 control groups examined the blocks by either vision or touch alone. After exposure to each block, Ss selected a comparison block of equal size from a set of 15 blocks. Group means indicate that experimental Ss made a judgment which was a compromise between their visual and tactual impressions. Closer examination showed that Ss made their judgments conform to either their visual or tactual impressions, and that there was great heterogeneity of response pattern. Results indicate that the generalization of vision as a dominant modality may be premature. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variations in personal space as a function of authoritarianism, self-esteem, and racial characteristics of a stimulus situation.

Investigated "personal space," the portable, flexible area surrounding an individual which has been viewed as a buffer zone between him and his environment. It was hypothesized that when 20 high and 20 low self-esteem and authoritarian white male undergraduates were approached by white and black male stimuli, (a) the largest areas of personal space would be used by high authoritarian, and low self-esteem ss; and (b) these ss would also use larger areas of personal space in response to the approach of the black stimulus than the white. The hypotheses are supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction enhancement through the use of moderator variables.

In order to increase the ability of clinicians to predict the subsequent behavior of 76 inmates in a juvenile correctional institution, moderator variables, i.e., variables which were correlated with degree of predictability of inmates as measured by the relative magnitudes of the difference scores between predictor and criterion variables were developed. These moderator variables were then used to remove less predictable Ss from a cross-validation sample, resulting in a moderate increase in the correlation between predictor and criterion variables when 1/3 of the least predictable Ss were removed, and a more substantial increase when 1/2 of the least predictable Ss were similarly removed. The method showed considerable potential value as a means of facilitating more accurate classifications of inmates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Satiety role of the small intestine examined in sham-feeding rhesus monkeys.

Conducted 4 experiments with 4 male rhesus monkeys in which food was diverted from the stomach, the small intestine, or both. Results demonstrate that (a) food acting at the pregastric level was not sufficient to produce normal-sized meals, (b) accumulation of food in the small intestine was necessary to produce normal-sized meals, and (c) a potent preabsorptive or postabsorptive satiety signal originated at the intestinal level. It is concluded that this unidentified satiety signal is sufficient to elicit satiety, can be dissociated from gastric emptying, and does not require the presence of gastic distention to operate. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anatomy of a meeting.

Provides a detailed account of a joint meeting (November 4, 1967) of the Oregon Psychological Association and the Oregon District Branch of the American Psychiatric Association as a model for others who might attempt to bring such organizations into constructive interaction. Aspects of planning, committee meetings, organizational resources, registration, and programs are described. Feedback has been uniformly positive from both professional groups. There have already been gestures toward further cooperative action, such as the suggested establishment of collaborating committees on social issues or joint sponsorship of workshops. Underlying this constructive movement appears to be the large amount of positive interaction that took place among individuals at the meeting, the sense of mutual commitment created by the panels, and the erosion of some aspects of the negative organizational stereotypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dependency changes in psychotherapy as related to interpersonal relationships.

Studied 60 tape-recorded psychotherapy sessions representing the 1st, middle, and next to last interviews with 20 clients. Raters classified S's dependency statements with respect to the category of interpersonal relationships involved. While dependency statements involving the formal structure of the relationship decreased throughout therapy, dependency involving family relationships initially decreased then stabilized. Dependency statements involving the relationship between S and therapist 1st increased and then also stabilized. Dependency in social relationships remained constant through the middle phase, then decreased through the termination of therapy, suggesting a relatively specific resolution of dependency needs and conflicts. Additional data suggest that early termination and unsuccessful therapy experience is related to the early development of intense dependency by Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differentiation of organics from schizophrenics at two chronicity levels by use of the Reitan-Halstead Organic Test Battery.

Attempted to determine whether the Reitan-Halstead Organic Test Battery separates neuropsychiatric hospital organics from schizophrenics. It was administered to 25 schizophrenics and 25 cerebral-lesion organics at each of 2 chronicity levels. Only 1 of the 24 diagnosis/diagnosis * chronicity effects used to evaluate the data was significant at the .05 level, indicating that actuarial application of Reitan-Halstead scores is of no practical value in the separation of the 2 groups. To determine whether expert clinicians might improve upon the actuarial results, protocols of 24 schizophrenics and 24 organics were sent to 8 Reitan-Halstead experts who were instructed to separate them into brain-damaged and schizophrenic diagnostic groups. The mean number of correct classifications, 25.5 out of 48 suggested that clinical judgment added nothing to actuarial prediction in this case. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)