Physiological need, set, and visual duration threshold.

The interaction between the effect of deprivation level and set-inducing instructions on the thresholds of need-related words is investigated by presenting tachistoscopically to two groups of Ss, one group soon after mealtime and the other after about 9 hours food and water deprivation, a list of neutral words and then a list of need-related words, half of the Ss in each group receiving set instructions before the second list. The results indicate that while Ss given set instructions exhibit a significantly lower threshold for need-related words than did non-set groups, there is no difference in performance between satiated and deprived Ss, even among Ss not given set instructions. A second study, similar to the first, save that the set variable is eliminated and the words presented in mixed order showed no differences in the threshold for need-related words in the two groups of Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)