Showing papers in "American Journal of Psychology in 1966"

Thought and choice in chess

Abstract: What does a chessmaster think when he prepartes his next move? How are his thoughts organized? Which methods and strategies does he use by solving his problem of choice? To answer these questions, the author did an experimental study in 1938, to which famous chessmasters participated (Alekhine, Max Euwe and Flohr). This book is still usefull for everybody who studies cognition and artificial intelligence.

Stability and change in human characteristics

Abstract: Stability and change in human characteristics , Stability and change in human characteristics , کتابخانه دیجیتال و فن آوری اطلاعات دانشگاه امام صادق(ع)

Factors contributing to the delay in the perception of the oculogravic illusion.

Abstract: Factors contributing to delay in perception of oculogravic illusion following exposure to rotating environment - adaptation level theory

The effects of goal-setting, rule-learning, and knowledge of score on performance.

Abstract: : It was suggested that the motivational effects of knowledge of results were a function of the goal setting activity such knowledge induces. A laboratory experiment using a computation task tested knowledge of total score by itself for experimental effect on performance. When subjects were classified according to their a posteriori performance-goal descriptions, significant performance effects were found. In addition the sooner subjects were able to memorize the rule needed for task performance, the higher became their overall performance.

Randomization by Humans

Abstract: The idea that humans are not good randomizers comes from psychophysics.' The conjecture that their attempts to randomize will show the inverse of the order they expect in the world arises from these studies. Alternative hypotheses may be found in Ross.2 For example, if S expects to receive ones in a binary sequence with a high probability, then he will write zero with an equally high probability.

Separation of positive and negative reinforcing systems in the diencephalon of the rat.

Abstract: There are practical and theoretical reasons for allowing rats to terminate as well as to initiate the same brain-stimulus.' From the practical point of view, the technique makes it possible to assess both the positive and negative reinforcing effects of an electrode, and it provides two measures of the strength of each effect--rate of responding and duration (latency). Furthermore, the procedure allows the opportunity to see if rats will maximize the duration of positive stimulation. Preliminary work suggests that in some cases they will,2 but further testing, especially at high levels of current, is necessary.

The effect of variation in specific stimuli on memory for their superordinates.

Abstract: One of the widely accepted notions regarding human behavior concerns the relationship between repetition-practice, exercise, frequency-and retention. Summarized by the cliche, "Practice makes perfect," the general idea was given scientific status by such pioneers as Ebbinghaus and Thorndike. Its validity has, of course, not gone unquestioned. Early challengers include, among others, Gottschaldt with his data on the recognition of hidden forms,1 Dunlap in his demonstration involving 'negative practice,""2 and, on the basis of results from drawing lines while blindfolded, even Thorndike himself.a More recently, the generalization has been under attack by the protagonists in the one-trial learning controversy.4

Some critical factors in prism-adaptation.

Abstract: There is general agreement as to the kind of systematic errors in reaching which are induced by wearing prisms displacing the visual field. There is disagreement, however, as to the relative importance of some of the factors which may, alone or in combination with others, determine such displacements. A visuo-motor mechanism has been postulated with strong emphasis on the importance of reafferent stimulation from the musculature." An even stronger emphasis on proprioceptive and motor adjustments, with a corresponding neglect of possible visual factors, was made by Harris.2 As yet, the visual components, though tacitly assumed in the current explanatory schema, have not been specifically studied. This is surprising, since KohlerO reported an early experiment in which prisms were worn which displaced half of the visual field. When the prisms were removed, after-effects were confined to the exposed portion of the visual field. Since this effect varied as S moved his eyes, as well as his head, it was assumed to be not primarily visual in nature. The possibility remains that there may be some specific visual component which may be uncovered if investigated under appropriate conditions. The experiments described below explore the relative importance of visual mechanisms in prism-adaptation. Experiment I will study adaptation to induced displacement in a limb seen through the prism, but not moved by S, hence, providing little reafferent information. Experiments II and II will examine the effects of exposure of a limited retinal area to the prism. A purely proprioceptive-motor hypothesis would be excluded if it were found that under certain conditions of exposure the after-effects were confined to a specific portion of the visual field.

Visual memory-span in the deaf.

Abstract: Deaf children have been found to perform less well than hearing children on some types of memory-tasks, although results were by no means consistent.' It has been suggested that verbal language may play an important role in such tasks and that the well known verbal deficiency of the deaf could explain their inferiority on memory-performance. This study compares the visual memory-span in the deaf with that of hearing Ss. A comparison of linguistically normal and linguistically deficient persons of different ages was expected to clarify relations between memory-span and language. The tasks, given in both simultaneous and successive presentation, are as follows: (1) nonsense-forms of low asociative value; (2) nonsense-forms of high asosciation value; and (3) visually presented digits. The tasks may therefore be considered as progressively sampling the continuum from low to high accessibility of verbal labels.

Distal and proximal size under reduced and non-reduced viewing conditions.

Abstract: Of the many aspects or properties of objects a person can perceive, the perception of size has loomed large as a field of investigation. A recent review by Epstein, Park and Casey attests to continuing interest in this area.1 Early investigations dealt with the processes by which a person perceives the size of an object that accords with its real or distal size. There is ample evidence that a person can judge the distal size of an object accurately under favorable conditions. In addition to this ability, he can also judge the visual angle subtended by the object, the proximal size, with some degree of accuracy when instructed to do so, and under restricted viewing conditions.2 Thus, one can perceive two attributes or properties of the size of objects, and theories on the subject have attempted to include both types of perception.