Experimental Ss Research Articles

M and semantic satiation.

It was proposed that the m continued association method of scaling meaningfulness would produce satiation effects in semantic differential ratings of m. Control and experimental Ss associated to and rated on semantic differential scales 6 levels of m. A 2 × 6 analysis of variance showed no satiation effects. Possible reasons for this are discussed.

The effects of modeling cues, reward, and attentional set on the production of grammatical and ungrammatical syntactic constructions

Two experiments examined the effects of reward, modeling, and attentional set on the acquisition of novel syntactic responses by second-grade children. In Exp. I the experimental Ss were exposed to and rewarded for the production of grammatical prepositional phrases of the form “preposition-article-noun” or ungrammatical phrases of the form “article-noun-preposition.” Both groups demonstrated an increase in the frequency of “preposition-article-noun” (grammatical) phrases relative to the performance of a control group. Experiment II revealed that Ss of this age could repeat modeled ungrammatical phrases of the type “article-noun-preposition,” but, even with repetition, they did not generate new ones. These findings are discussed in relationship to the hypothesis that children of this age adopt an active problem-solving strategy, modifying ungrammatical utterances to make them grammatically correct.

Imprinting: Transfer of the following response after initial attachment

Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) were imprinted to an auditory-visual stimulus complex. After the critical period, experimental Ss were exposed to the original auditory stimulus plus new visual object. Controls were exposed to the new visual object alone. In subsequent tests with the new object, experimental birds showed a significantly greater attachment than controls.

Effect of EVA lesion on reversal learning in the dark

Albino rats were pretrained in a water T maze in the light. Experimental Ss were then given lesions in the extrinsic visual area of neocortex (EVA) and in surrounding neocortex. Control Ss were given lesions in neocortex surrounding EVA to equate groups for the amount of damage outside EVA. Ss were then trained in the dark for five reversals and it was found that experimental Ss learned more slowly than controls (p <.005).

An experimental test of Piaget's notions concerning the conservation of quantity in children

School children 6–8 years of age were allocated to “conservation” and “nonconservation” groups using the usual Piagetian test for conservation of quantity. They were then tested for ability to predict whether the contents of each of a series of comparison containers was equal or unequal to that of an original container. The comparison containers differed from the original in both height and breadth. For experimental Ss, a standard container, equal to the comparisons in height or breadth, but different from the original in both, was filled from the original in S's view. Conservation and nonconservation Ss were compared for their ability to utilize the knowledge that the quantity in the standard was equal to that in the original, in spite of the change in height and breadth. The results showed that conservation Ss were superior to nonconservation Ss in their ability to recognize equality and inequality, even without the use of the standard. However, the results give grounds for not abandoning the hypothesis that conservation Ss made superior use of the knowledge that the standard and the original, though of different heights and breadths, contained the same quantity. The results are interpreted as showing that both logical reasoning and other processes are important in the understanding of constancy of quantity.

Unlearning and spontaneous recovery in short-term memory

The experiment attempted to demonstrate unlearning and spontaneous recovery in a STM situation. In Experimental tests Ss learned two successive single syllables and then recalled both syllables in an unpaced recall task after having counted backwards for either 3, 9, or 18 sec. In Control tests Ss learned and recalled single syllables. Highly significant unlearning of the experimental first syllables was demonstrated. Some evidence for spontaneous recovery was presented.

Operant conditioning of GSR amplitude.

Abstract : An experimental group of 40 Ss was given a 5 cent-connected light as positive reinforcement contingent on their GSR amplitude following a lever press. A corresponding group of 40 control Ss had their reinforcement schedules yoked to that of their experimental partners. The Ss were told that reinforcement was dependent on the accuracy of their estimate of the conclusion of a 1-min. interval, as indicated by their lever press. Mean GSR amplitude following the lever press was significantly greater for the experimental (contingent reinforcement) Ss than for the non-contingent controls, indicating successful operant conditioning of a non-spontaneous autonomic response. (Author)

Rewritten Science Materials and Reading Comprehension

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the effect on sixth-grade pupils' rending abilities when sixth-grade science materials were rewritten to a lower level of readability.One unit of a sixth-grade science textbook was analysed and rewritten to a “third-grade” level of readability. Four hundred sixth-grade pupils were randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups. The control Ss rend the grade level material while experimental Ss read the rewritten text. Subjects completed a comprehension test after reading each of three assignments.Using analysis of variance procedures, the mean comprehension scores and reading rates of the experimental group were found to be significantly higher (.05 level) than those of the control group.

Conditioning the eyeblink response to sound in infants

Eyeblink conditioning to a complex sound was investigated in eight experimental and 12 control infants, with a median age of 69.5 days. All eight experimental Ss reached criterion of nine blinks on 10 successive trials. In control groups for spontaneous blinking, for effects of presentations of CS alone, and for effects of unpaired presentations of CS and UCS, no S approached the criterion of conditioning.

Caudate nucleus lesions and maternal behavior in the rat

Six rats received lesions involving the head of the caudate nucleus, the corpus callosum and the deeper layers of the frontal neocortex, and seven rats served as sham operated controls. Postoperatively the animals were mated and their behavior was observed for the first six days postpartum. Although the experimental Ss were more active, they showed no impairment in maternal behavior.

The relationship between performance under stress and blood biochemistry in monkeys

Twenty-four male rhesus monkeys were subjected to extensive discrimination training under stress. Biochemical values of the blood, such as Glutamic Oxalacetic Transaminase, Cholinesterase, Tyrosine, Cholesterol, Serum Total Protein, White Blood Count, Albumin, Beta Globulin, and certain Leukocytes seemed to vary virtually point for point with the temporal adaptation to the tasks presented to the animals. The findings were interpreted to indicate that these biochemical measures reflect the degree of performance stress to which the experimental Ss were exposed.

Duration discrimination in the rat after early auditory restriction.

To test the hypothesis that cumulative early exposure to patterned auditory stimulation is necessary for the development of auditory duration perception in the rat, 40 hooded rats from the Long-Evans strain were raised from birth to 60 days in sound resistant lockers with ear plugs introduced into their external auditory canals. The remaining 20 Ss were raised with the auditory input of the laboratory colony. Although auditorily restricted Ss learned an intensity discrimination as readily as did normally reared Ss, experimental Ss took significantly more trials than normals to learn a duration discrimination problem.

Language development in two groups of socially disadvantaged young children.

Two groups of socially disadvantaged young children were studied for a 2-yr. period. The experimental children (those with 2 yr. of enrichment) and controls (no enriched schooling) were tested at the beginning of the first grade and retested at the beginning of the second grade with the ITPA. Results indicate: (1) a significant performance difference between experimental and control Ss over the 2 yr, (2) all significant subtest differences over the 2 yr. favor the experimental group, with the differences primarily a function of control group decrement; (3) both groups show similar patterns of psycholinguistic performance. These findings support the hypothesis that early enrichment helps to offset language disability related to the socially disadvantaged condition.

Emergence and recovery of initially unavailable perceptual material

This experiment investigated whether free associations aid in the recovery of initially unavailable elements of a perceived stimulus (Recovery), and whether unavailable details of the stimulus are present in the content of those associations (Emergence). Three groups were tested: an experimental group which saw a picture briefly, attempted to recall it, then gave extensive free associations, followed by a second recall; a similarly treated control group which, however, played darts instead of associating; and another control group which was shown the initial recall attempts of yoked experimental Ss rather than the original stimulus, but then associated and in all other respects were treated similarly to the experimental group. The improvement in recall of the experimental group was superior to that of either control group, indicating that free associations result in a recovery of initially unavailable stimulus elements. Analysis of the free-association material indicated that emergence of a percept in fantasy was an increasing function of the level of consciousness of that percept (unregistered

Dominance in monkeys: Early rearing and home environment

Dominance tests were performed on 28–30 month old male rhesus monkeys, reared from the age of 2–4 months under four different conditions of perceptual and social enrichment. Results showed: (1) no differences between any of the four groups, except those due to significant differential weight of experimental Ss, and (2) a “group effect” to be operating which was somewhat akin to the social relationship among feral monkeys, generally described in the literature as territory or home range.

EARLY CONDITIONING OF PERCEPTUAL PREFERENCE

This study was designed to investigate conditioning as a factor in perceptual preference and to test the generalizability of Fantz's findings with normal infants to institutionalized retardates. The sample consisted of 10 retardates and 10 normal infants, randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental Ss were subjected to the conditioning procedure of pairing a red light with food. It was found that conditioning significantly changed the order of preference from pretest to posttest for the experimental Ss. The results also indicate the generalizability of Fantz's findings to other normals and, to a lesser extent, to institutionalized retardates.

A failure to obtain defensive projection.

The hypothesis that Ss who have received incompatible information about themselves will tend to project the undesirable attribute onto other persons, particularly those within their own social category, was tested by attempting to induce cognitions of incompetence in college student Ss, then obtaining ratings of hypothetical characters, ratings of photos of unknown persons, or TAT stories. Although experimental Ss rated self-competence lower than controls, no significant projective effects were obtained at the .05 level on any of the measures employed.

Free operant conditioning of the human eyelid response

A yoked control double blind procedure was employed to demonstrate the free operant conditioning of the human eyelid response with reward. A high rate of conditioning was obtained for experimental Ss when compared to their initial operant level and/or the yoked controls. A statistically reliable conditioning effect was obtained even when the analysis included only those Ss unable to verbalize the response reward contingency relationship (“unaware Ss”).

The effects of an interpolated ITI stimulus on classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane response of the rabbit

Fourteen rabbits underwent classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane response while restrained in a darkened experimental enclosure. The experimental Ss, subjected to a 10 sec period of illumination of the experimental enclosure occurring 40 sec after UCS offset and 40 sec prior to CS onset, conditioned at a significantly slower rate.

A trans-response effect of partial reinforcement

Eight rats were conditioned to run an L-maze with food pellets as reinforcement Reinforcement was available to the control Ss at the end of the maze on every trial, while the experimental Ss were reinforced on an intermittent schedule. Following this differential training in the maze, all Ss were placed in a Skinner box and conditioned to press a bar for food which succeeded each response. After the bar press response was established, all Ss were run to a 3 min extinction criterion. During the extinction session the experimental Ss emitted more responses than the control Ss, and these results suggest that at least one effect of partial reinforcement, resistance to extinction, may be evidenced across unrelated responses.