Predictions from recent transfer hypothesis (H) for reversal (R) and extradimensional (ED) shifts were tested directly using conjunctive concept identification problems. To assess a hierarchical probability of sampling of Hs within or across domains, four transfer conditions (R-1, R-2, ED-1, and ED-2) were arranged according to complete or half change in values or dimensions. The transfer performance was rank-ordered as follows: R-1≅R-2>ED-1>ED-2. These results were attributed to the fact that the subject first samples Hs within the previous correct domain, at the start of transfer, then tests some domain which differs in a single dimension from the training domain, and finally chooses Hs from other new domains with two changes in dimension.

View full abstract

The present study was designed as an attempt to make clear the implication of the effects of modeling on self-reinforcement. In two experiments children played a game with self-reinforcement after observing either a stringent model, or no model and/or a neutral model. In the game half of each group received lenient external-reinforcement which rewarded them. The standards for selfreinforcement exhibited by each subject were recorded. The results indicated that children exposed to a stringent model adopted higher standards for selfreinforcement than those exposed to a control model, but both groups were similarly influenced by the lenient external-reinforcement.

View full abstract

A child learns in his family environment the basic aspects of social relations, while interacting with different family members. In course of development he retains in his memory repertoire a pool of unshared information which affects his social relations in family circle. Thus a child is assessed by his family members in terms of how he maintains relation and express his behaviour under different family circumstances. Some significant memory impressions of a child constitute the properties of his psychological field and governs his motives and attitudes for interacting with associated figures in a social field. In order to know the dynamics of those properties of psychological field of a child in a given moment of interaction an understanding of the said impressions is essential. An attempt has been made in the present investigation to explore the modes of unshared information of a group of physically handicapped children by reverberating the past impressions as suggested by Cohen (1970) using the “projected molar behaviour analysis” method. One hundred middle class Bengalee handicapped children were divided into five groups on the basis of social behaviour peculiarities, reported by their parents, deserving clinician's attention. The psychodynamics of the said reported behaviour peculiarities were studied here by a projective method developed by the authors following theoretical assumptions of some reputed senior psychologists. The findings highlighted the modes of reverberated behaviour potentials which could be considered as the unshared information of these children and admitted as motivators of their reported social behaviours in family milieu. The findings spoke in favour of the efficacy of the method for studying the unexplored cognitive frames of reference of the children for clientele purpose.

View full abstract

Subjects estimated magnitude of brightness of light under six tone intensities, and loudness of tones under five light intensities. Analysis of results showed significant variance by intensity and subject, under each condition of light and tone. Perceived brightness and loudness increased with each increase in intensity of tone or light. Both brightness and loudness increases were greater in Buddhist than non-Buddhist subjects. Significant correlations indicated that: The greater the score of self-attainment, the greater the brightness and loudness. In contrast with the results of absolute thresholds (previous studies), the present auditory and visual effects did not correlate with the measure of extraversion or arousal, nor exhibit inverted-U function, suggesting a difference between threshold and suprathreshold phenomena. Present results would support the views of intermodality organization.

View full abstract

Four presentation strategies were adopted to examine the effects of theme on comprehension in stories. Subjects given a main theme only knew it before reading the passage. Simultaneous group read both the main and the subordinate themes on the first page. Alternate group read the main theme first and then was presented subordinate themes and their corresponding paragraphs alternatively. The results showed that these three groups which were given themes tended to include more ideas in their recall protocols than the Control group which was given no theme. There was no significant difference among the three groups given the themes. Similar tendencies were found in both reproductive and constructive measures on memory. These results showed that the readers encoded the given stories by integrating individual sentences with the theme, but such integration was difficult to occur for the materials of which the whole meaning could easily be extracted.

View full abstract

This experiment tested the hypothesis that the mere presence of an observer would facilitate performance on simple mazes and hinder performance on complex mazes. Sixty female students traversed either a multiple T-maze or a multiple +-maze either with or without an observer. The factors of maze-type and observer-presence did not interact in a manner consistent with previous researches. On both mazes, the “observed” subject made more errors and needed more trials to reach the criterion than the “alone” subject.

View full abstract

The effects of low-protein diet and environmental enrichment in early age were examined at maturity. New-born rats were nursed by mothers in either normal or low-protein dietary condition. After weaning, they were reared for four weeks in one of three environmental conditions; standard, enriched, and isolated. After additional four weeks of standard rearing, they were tested in a runway. There was an interaction between the nutritional and environmental conditions: A clear difference was found between the low-protein group and the normal group reared in the enriched environment, but not between those reared in the other environments. It is important to use more than one environmental conditions in nutritional experiments.

View full abstract