Cognitive and affective causes of interest and liking.

In this study, I investigated some of the cognitive and affective causes of interest and liking. In Experiment 1, 240 undergraduates read stories with endings that varied in the degree of surprise, outcome valence (i.e., goodness or badness of outcome), and incongruity resolution. The results did not support the hypothesis that degree of surprise per se causes interest (Schank, 1979). Instead, as suggested by Kintsch (1980), subjects rated high-surprise story endings as more interesting than low-surprise story endings for those conditions in which the postsurprise incongruity was resolved (p?p?     

Ertragsleistungen und einige Qualitätsmerkmale von verschiedenen Ölleinsorten (Linum usitatissimum L.) auf ökologisch stark unterschiedlichen Standorten

Yield Performance and Some Quality Characteristics of Different Linseed Varieties (Linum usitatissimum L.) in Areas with Greatly Varying Environment Worldwide cultivation experiments during 1972 and 1973 enabled the investigations on seed yield and some important quality characteristics of linseed grown in various countries. The seed yield was strongly influenced by the conditions of growth at the area of cultivation; the yields in different regions varied between 21.7 dt/ha and 8.6 dt/ha for an average of two years using nine different varieties. The varietal differences were smaller, ranging between 12.8 dt/ha and 9.3 dt ha. The weight of 1000 seeds, in an average of regions and years, varied distinctly for the different varieties, e. g. 5.6 g for “Foster”/USA and 11.0 g for “Somaco”/Morocco; within the varieties, the average variation due to varietal differences were between 7.0 g and 9.0 g. With respect to crude fat content, the varietal differences in an average of two years and 10 regions ranged between 44.3% for “Foster” and 41.6% for “Raulinus”. For the nine varieties, the regional variations were between 45.5% in Rabat/Morocco and 41.4% in Gießen, Germany. Mostly, a higher fat content was observed in the colder regions. With respect to crude protein content, varietal differences, established statistically, were between 24.7% for “Vitagold” and 23.3% for “Redwood”. The regional variations on an average of varieties and years were between 27.0% in Izmir/Turkey and 21.2% in Rabat/Morocco. The fatty acid composition was strongly influenced by environmental factors. Greatest variations were found in the content of oleic and linolenic acids; a negative correlation was found between the levels of these two acids. The regional variation in the content of oleic acid was between 13.3% in Rabat/Morocco to 20.3% in Izmir/Turkey; the varietal differences were only between 15.3% (“Redwood”) and 19.9% (“Somaco”). The linolenic acid content varied between 59.3% (“Somaco”) and 64.3% (“Vitagold”) or 64.0% (“Redwood”). The mucilage content, determined as sedimentation value, showed distinct varietal differences, ranging from 90 ml for “Vitagold” to 48 ml for “Raulinus” and “Somaco”. The regional differences were from 60 ml in Rauisch-Holzhausen and Groß-Gerau (Germany) up to 71 ml in Sapporo/Japan. The contents of hydrolyzable hydrocyanic acid exhibited minor varietal differences ranging from 290 mg/kg for “Redwood” to 271 mg/kg for “Somaco”. The average regional differences were between 322 mg/kg in Izmir/Turkey to 253 mg/kg in Rauisch-Holzhausen/Germany; the variations in linamarin content were lower under cold and wet conditions, as in 1972. The average crude fiber content in various regions during 1972 was low as 5.7%. The varietal differences ranged from 5.9% for “Vitagold” to 5.4% for “Raulinus”; the regional differences were between 5.1% in Salo/Finland and 6.2% in Njoro/Kenya.     

The relationship in experience between various types of affect.

Investigated the co-occurrence in experience of various emotions placing the focus on positive vs negative affect. In Study 1, 72 college students read stories designed to produce varying levels of either positive or negative affect and then rated their level of both types of affect. In Study 2, 42 undergraduates rated their feelings during emotional times in everyday life for a period of 6 wks. Results show that emotions of the same hedonic valence (e.g., fear and anger) tend to co-occur. Results also show that positive and negative affect do not occur together at high levels of intensity. It is suggested that these 2 facts about the relation of positive and negative affect are probably responsible for the bipolarity that is often found between them. These findings represent a challenge to those who postulate that there are unrelated discrete emotions and that the terms positive affect and negative affect do not describe meaningful clusters of emotions. Findings suggest that if one type of affect is of low intensity, the other type can be at any level from low to high. Therefore, a truly inverse and linear relation does not characterize positive and negative affect. This finding represents a challenge to most structural models of emotion. It appears that mutual exclusion only at high levels of intensity characterizes the relation between positive and negative affect. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Über die Veränderung einiger Qualitätsmerkmale bei verschiedenen Ölleinsorten unter kontrollierten Klimabedingungen

Alteration of Several Quality Characteristics of Different Varieties of Linseed under Controlled Climatic Conditions In a phytotron experiment, 9 varieties of linseed from different countries were grown from flowering till ripening under 2 different day lengths (12^h and 19^h), 2 different temperatures (15°C and 23°C) as well as 2 different humidities (85% and 50%). Using these plant materials, the influence of climatic factors, such as photoperiod, temperature and humidity, on several important quality characteristics of linseed were studied with the aim to explain the differences observed in a world-wide field study¹. The crude fat content was generally increased at lower temperatures, however, several varieties behaved oppositely, yielding a higher oil content at higher temperatures. Also with regard to crude protein content, several interactions were found between the varieties and the climatic factors, so that no distinct negative correlation was obtained between crude fat content and crude protein content. These interactions, which were also observed in other quality criteria as well as in field experiments, hardly permit the exact prediction of the quality of linseed of various provenances if the variety is not known.     

Untersuchungen über Tokopherol- und Thiamingehalt in Leinsaat aus weltweitem Anbau und aus dem Phytotron unter definierten Klimabedingungen

Studies on Tocopherol and Thiamine Content of Linseed from Worldwide Cultivation and from Phytotron under Definite Climatic Conditions Determination of tocopherol and thiamine content of linseed from worldwide cultivation experiment with 9 varieties at 13 locations and from phytotron experiment yielded following results: 1. For both substances, the differences due to location were greater than those between the varieties, which means that these criteria of quality are mainly dependent on the provenance of the linseed. 2. Results of the phytotron experiments show that the differences with respect to tocopherol content at various locations can be due to climatic factors, whereas the thiamine content is obviously influenced to a greater extent by factors other than those due to location, such as supply of nutrient and water. 3. Variation of climatic factors, such as photoperiod, humidity and temperature in the phytotron show that the influence of one factor on the tocopherol content is essentially determined by the constellation of the other two factors. Thus, the differences due to location cannot be generally explained by differences in individual climatic factors. 4. In phytotron experiments close negative correlation was found between tocopherol content and oil content which however could not be confirmed by results of the field experiments.     

Veränderungen im Fettsäuremuster von Leinsaat durch Standortfaktoren,spezifische Klimakonstellationen und mutagene Behandlung

Changes in the Fatty Acid Pattern of Linseed by Regional Factors, Specific Climatic Constellations and Mutagenic Treatment Studies on 9 varieties of linseed from a worldwide experiment at 14 locations showed distinct regional differences in the content of oleic and linolenic acid, while the content of saturated fatty acids and linoleic acid was almost constant. Since it was not evident as to which of the factors were especially effective, the effect of climatic factors, photo period, humidity of air, and temperature were studied in a phytotrone experiment using the same varieties. The intensity of the well known effect of temperature, i. e. low content of linolenic acid at higher temperatures and vice versa, was found to be dependent on the constellation of the ether two climatic factors. Greatly varying species specific responses to climatic parameters indicate strong interaction between variety and location as well as variety and weather. A mutagenic treatment by irradiation of the seeds and plants in EMS-solution yielded in the M₂ generation considerable alteration in the fatty acid pattern, especially a decrease in the linolenic acid content. Examination of the M₃ generation showed, however, that these effects were mainly due to modification. Only in two cases, mutants with lower content of linolenic acid were found after treatment with EMS.