Allan Wilson

Directed attention and perceptual asymmetry to monaurally presented tones.

Forty-eight right-handed Ss were tested for simple reaction time (RT) to a monaurally presented 1000 Hz tone of 250 msec duration. Each S was tested in 3 series comprising 7, 11 and 15 stimulus presentations (trials). In each series all stimuli but one (probe) were presented to a single ear. Ss were divided equally into right or left-ear attention groups on the basis of the ear receiving the non-probe trials. Right-ear attention resulted in equally good RTs to either attended or non-attended ear. Left-ear attention resulted in slower RTs than right-ear attention and showed a significant discrepancy between ears in favor of the non-attended ear. The results are interpreted as showing that neither simulus competition nor language processing are necessary conditions for eliciting auditory asymmetry. The data indicate that a cortically-mediated process of selective attention operates in the production of auditory asymmetries for some non-language sounds and that, as with language perception, it is the left cerebral hemisphere that is primarily involved.

Disulfiram-ethanol reaction to implanted disulfiram.

It is postulated that a recent suggestion that the disulfiram implant technique is not pharmacologically effective may be premature. Some literature is cited in support of this contention, and three case histories of disulfiram implant patients who experienced disulfiram-ethanol reactions when they recommenced drinking are reported. It is suggested that the disulfiram-ethanol reactions to implanted disulfiram may be delayed in onset and of longer duration than those obtained from orally-administered disulfiram. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

The locus of maximum weighting within attentive fields: An empirical investigation

Fixation within a modified Poggendorff display was used to assess Presseys hypothesized construct of attentive fields. In Experiment I the results for fixating near the bottom of the display supported the predictions based on Presseys construct; however, results from fixating near the top of the display were more easily explained by a tilt effect noted by Zajac (1957). Experiment II and III replicated the first experiment and obtained independent measures of the tilt effect. After the tilt effect was subtracted from the Poggendorff scores, the prediction based upon the attentive field construct was supported in the top fixation condition; however, only Experiment II provided support for the prediction in the bottom fixation condition.

Patient management in disulfiram implant therapy.

Data from 100 disulfiram implant, placebo, and no-implant control patients demonstrate the effectiveness of the disulfiram implant in keeping the alcoholic dry. However, the superiority of the disulfiram implant group over the placebo group is interpreted as evidence of a pharmacological component to the procedure operating independent of the disulfiramethanol reaction (DER). Hypotheses involving inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase or inhibition of dopamine-β-hydroxylase are offered as mechanisms by which the pharmacological effect may be mediated. Finally, in view of the low (approximately 0.5) probability with which a DER follows ingestion of alcohol by a disulfiram implant patient, it is suggested that the approach to patient management should be changed to maximize the effectiveness of the disulfiram implant procedure. Guidelines are given.

The Inference of Covert Hypotheses by Verbal Reports in Concept-Learning Research:

A paradigm designed to examine the degree to which verbal reports represent the subjects learning was evaluated using a concept-acquisition task. Specifically, the degree to which hypotheses verbalized during the concept-acquisition procedure represent the covert hypotheses controlling category responding was examined. Subjects were required to make category responses, verbal reports, and sorts and re-sorts (blank-trial probes) of the stimuli at intervals in a reception paradigm. By comparing the sorts made during the acquisition procedure, the re-sorts after a 1-week delay, and the sorts made by subjects who had not participated in the acquisition procedure, it was determined that the verbal reports do not accurately represent the underlying hypothesis-testing process under all conditions. Verbal reports elicited at the beginning of the acquisition procedure and at criterion accurately represented the underlying hypotheses; those elicited at intervening points did not. The ambiguity of the verbal reports was a similar function of acquisition trials.