Multiple determinants of transfer of evaluative function after conditioning with free-operant schedules of reinforcement

The aim of the four present experiments was to explore how different schedules of reinforcement influence schedule-induced behavior, their impact on evaluative ratings given to conditioned stimuli associated with each schedule through evaluative conditioning, and the transfer of these evaluations through derived stimulus networks. Experiment 1 compared two contrasting response reinforcement rules (variable ratio [VR], variable interval [VI]). Experiment 2 varied the response to reinforcement rule between two schedules but equated the outcome to response rate (differential reinforcement of high rate [DRH] vs. VR). Experiment 3 compared molar and molecular aspects of contingencies of reinforcement (tandem VIVR vs. tandem VRVI). Finally, Experiment 4 employed schedules that induced low rates of responding to determine whether, under these circumstances, responses were more sensitive to the molecular aspects of a schedule (differential reinforcement of low rate [DRL] vs. VI). The findings suggest that the transfer of evaluative functions is determined mainly by differences in response rate between the schedules and the molar aspects of the schedules. However, when neither schedule was based on a strong response reinforcement rule, the transfer of evaluative judgments came under the control of the molecular aspects of the schedule.     

Faculty Productivity Barriers and Supports at a School of Education

All programs in a midwestern university recently embarked on a path to help increase the scholarly productivity of faculty. The effort to develop a research emphasis within the School of Education required determining the needs of tenure-track faculty regarding meeting the new requirements. The purposes of our study were to investigate these needs and identify the individual, environmental, and leadership factors that affect faculty productivity. Findings revealed a need to transform the School’s service and teaching culture to a culture of research and scholarship. Recommendations for helping other schools of education to become more research-oriented are provided. While the study focuses on data from a particular School of Education, the implications may generalize to faculty productivity within other institutions, particularly within professional schools. Susan A. Santo  received a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Virginia and is currently an Associate Professor of Adult and Higher Education at the University of South Dakota. Her research interests include faculty productivity in higher education and improving distance learning. Mary E. Engstrom  received an Ed.D. from the University of South Dakota in Curriculum and Instruction. She is currently the Associate Director of Extended Learning Services at the University of Montana. Her research interests include instructional design for online learning and professional development for educators. Linda Reetz  received an Ed.D. from the University of North Dakota in Teacher Education and serves as the Associate Dean of the School of Education at the University of South Dakota. Her research interests include higher education practices for teacher education programs and mild disabilities. William Schweinle  received a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington in Psychology and serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of South Dakota. His research interest area is in statistics. Kristine Reed  received a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in Curriculum and Instruction/Administration and serves as a faculty member in Curriculum and Instruction, University of South Dakota. Her research emphases include multicultural education and rural education.     

Generalization of causal efficacy judgments after evaluative learning

In three experiments, we examined the effect of response-outcome relations on human ratings of causal efficacy and demonstrated that such efficacy ratings transfer to novel situations through derived stimulus relations. Causal efficacy ratings were higher, and probability of an outcome given a response was lower, for a differential reinforcement of high rate schedule than for either a differential reinforcement of low rate schedule (Experiment 1) or a variable interval schedule (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, we employed schedules that were equated for outcome probability and noted that ratings of causal efficacy and the rate of response were higher on a variable ratio than on a variable interval schedule. For participants in all three experiments, causal efficacy ratings transferred to the stimulus present during each schedule and generalized to novel stimuli through derived relations. The results corroborate the view that schedules are a determinant of both response rates and causal efficacy ratings. In addition, the novel demonstration of a mechanism of generalization of these ratings via derived relations has clinical implications.     

Pictures From the Sky: Propaganda Leaflet Psyop During the Korean War

This research examines illustrated propaganda leaflets designed by the military to influence the Communist enemy during the Korean War (1950–1953). The United States built a propaganda operation in an effort to counteract Communist ideology. This required military propagandists to design a leaflet campaign to reach the enemy by means of pictures and text. But skeptics demanded evidence that leaflet-based propaganda was effective; psyop staff responded by gathering documentation. Leaflet campaigns seemed to have had limited effect, however. Authors conclude that psyop staff found it challenging to design leaflets faced with an unclear mission, designers trained in irrelevant techniques of American advertising, anti-Asian bias, and weaknesses in measurements.