The relationships between psychometric intelligence and learning in an explicit and an implicit task.

An experiment is reported examining the relation of implicit grammar learning and series completion tasks to a standard measure of psychometric intelligence, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS—R; D. Wechsler, 1981). The results replicate and extend an earlier study by A. S. Reber, F. F. Walkenfeld, and R. Hernstadt (see record 1992-04154-001) and provide the following support for the differences between explicit and implicit tasks: (a) The implicit task was less strongly related to Full Scale IQ, and (b) the implicit task appeared to be independent of age. The implicit and explicit tasks exhibited a quite different pattern of relations to the factors known to underlie WAIS—R performance. Although both tasks showed significant links with a Perceptual Organization factor, only the series completion task showed a significant link with the Attention factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The sorting techniques: a tutorial paper on card sorts, picture sorts and item sorts

Although sorting techniques (e.g. card sorts) are widely used in knowledge acquisition and requirements acquisition, they have received little formal attention compared to related techniques such as repertory grids and laddering. This paper briefly describes the main sorting techniques, then provides a detailed tutorial on one variety (repeated single-criterion sorts), using a worked example. Guidelines for choice and sequencing of techniques are given, both in relation to varieties of sorting technique and in relation to other techniques. It is concluded that the sorting techniques are a valuable part of the elicitor's methodological toolkit.     

Age hardening in beryllium-aluminum-silver alloys

Three different alloys of beryllium-aluminum-silver were processed to powder by centrifugal atomization in a helium atmosphere. Alloy compositions were, by weight percent, Be47.5Al2.5Ag, Be47Al3Ag, and Be46Al4Ag. Due to the low solubility of both aluminum and silver in beryllium, the silver was concentrated in the aluminum phase, which separates from the beryllium in the liquid phase. A fine, continuous composite beryllium-aluminum microstructure was formed, which did not significantly change after hot isostatic pressing. Samples of hot isostatically pressed material were solution treated at 550°C for 1 h, followed by a water quench. Aging temperatures were 150, 175, 200, and 225°C for times ranging from half an hour to 65 h. Results indicate that peak hardness was reached in 36–40 h at 175°C and 12–16 h at 200°C aging temperature, relatively independent of alloy composition.