Foraging on the radial-arm maze: Effects of altering the reward at a target location

Thirsty rats were trained to collect small water rewards from the end of each arm of an eight-arm radial maze. During these training trials and subsequent testing trials, the subjects were allowed to choose a maximum of eight arms. “Preference” for a target maze location was studied by noting when, in the sequence of eight choices, the target was selected. During testing, when one maze location was consistently devoid of water, rats decreased their preference for this arm over trials (Experiment 1). Similarly, rats that learned a saccharin-lithium association demonstrated lower preferences for a maze location that consistently held the conditioned saccharin solution. This was true for animals that received saccharin-lithium conditioning on the maze (Experiment 3A) and for animals conditioned to saccharin in a separate context (Experiment 3B). An increase in preference for a target maze location consistently containing a sweet chocolate milk solution was observed in animals that were water- and food-deprived (Experiment 2). These studies demonstrate that animals will modify their responses toward (preferences for) maze locations that predictably contain an altered reward.     

One bottle too many? Method of testing determines the detection of overshadowing and retention of taste aversions

A two-bottle testing method generally is regarded as a more sensitive measure of taste aversions than a one-bottle test. The current research compared the sensitivity of one-bottle and two-bottle tests in the detection of taste aversions. Specifically, the experiments were designed to detect both overshadowing (single- vs. compound-element conditioning) and retention interval (5 days vs. 1 day) effects. The groups tested with the one-bottle method evidenced both significant overshadowing and stronger aversions at 5-day retention intervals. On the other hand, the differences on these measures were not significant with the two-bottle tests. It is suggested that the efficacy of the two-bottle test be re-evaluated since it may obscure between-group differences in aversion strength.     

Development of sex-trait stereotypes among young children in the United Staes, England, and Ireland

The Sex Stereotype Measure II (SSM II), a 32-item revision of the Williams, Bennett, and Best Sex Stereotype Measure, was developed to assess children's knowledge of conventional, sex-trait stereotypes defined by American university students. The procedure employed brief stories and human figure silhouettes which were individually administered to 5- and 8-year-old children in the United States, England, and Ireland and group administered to 11-year-olds in the United States. In the United States, knowledge of sex-trait stereotypes was found to develop in a linear fashion between the ages of 5 and 11, with more male traits than female traits being known at each age level. Cross-nationally, there was a high degree of similarity in the nature of the sex stereotypes being learned by the children in the 3 countries, although the rate of learning appeared slower among the Irish children. In all countries there was a clear progression in sex-stereotype learning from age 5 to age 8. English boys had greater knowledge of stereotypes than English girls, but this was not true in Ireland and the United States. Generally, knowledge of male stereotype traits appeared to develop earlier while knowledge of the female traits increased more rapidly between ages 5 and 8. The similarity in sex-stereotype learning in the 3 countries is discussed, and studies in progress in other countries of greater cultural diversity are noted.     

Perinatal mortality counseling program for families who experience a stillbirth

The emotional impact of a stillbirth on a family has only recently begun to be appreciated. Literature regarding the grieving process in these families has been relatively scant and does not often facilitate applied approaches. The Perinatal Mortality Counseling Program (PMCP) at Shands Teaching Hospital, Gainesville, Florida, provides crisis intervention and support for these families as well as serving a research function. This article outlines the program, including its history, composition, procedures, and research.     

The Four Year Reliability of a Test of Learning Problems

Learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and unclassified male students (N = 123) originally tested with the Elizur Test of Psycho-Organicity (ETPO) when they were 6 to 11 years of age by Brooks (1) and Jackson (7), were followed-up and reassessed four years later. The test-retest reliability of the total ETPO score was .70, and subtest reliabilities ranged from .47 to .62. The pattern of subtest intercorrelations also remained stable over the four year interval. It was concluded that the ETPO is sufficiently stable for use with school-aged boys, though individual subtest scores should be used with caution.     

Causal Modeling and Research on Teacher Education

Causal modeling was applied to data collected in a naturalistic setting in an attempt to validate a conceputal model of teaching. These data, collected on 44 student teachers, included supervisory ratings of the variables: specifying performance objectives, diagnosing learners, selecting instructional strategies, and interacting with learners. Additionally, the mean number of objectives achieved by the classes of each of the student teachers was used as a measure of the fifth variable in the model, evaluating the effectiveness of instruction. A recursive causal model which described the relationship of these variables was developed and analyzed, using four linear equations. Examination of the path coefficients from these equations revealed that the variables, specification of performance objectives, and diagnosing learners account for over one-half the variance in selecting instructional strategies. Other results indicated there were low to moderate amounts of variance shared by the variables in the model. This study illustrates the application of causal modeling techniques in testing theoretical models in education using data collected in naturalistic, nonexperimental settings.