Andrew R. Gilpin

Table for Conversion of Kendall'S Tau to Spearman'S Rho Within the Context of Measures of Magnitude of Effect for Meta-Analysis:

In meta-analytic studies where one wishes to estimate magnitude of effects based on multiple investigations, it is important to recognize that Kendalls Tau, often considered equivalent to Spearmans Rho as an ordinal measure of correlation, in fact has a different metric. This article reviews formulae for converting Tau to Rho, Pearsons r, r2, Fishers Zr, and Cohens standardized range of means index of effect size, as well as presents a table of the values corresponding to Tau coefficients from 0 through 1.

Verbal vs. Visual Categories on the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised: How Meaningful a Distinction?.

This study investigated whether the a priori classification of Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) subtests into separate Verbal and Visual categories is warranted. Correlational and hierarchical clustering analyses found that (a) memory test performance correlated significantly with performance on subtests of Form II of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB-II) that measure substrates of particular memory processes; and (b) subtests that appeared a priori to involve verbal skills clustered separately from those that appeared to involve nonverbal (visual) skills. However, the WMS-R Visual Paired Associates subtest did not cluster with the nonverbal scales as expected, and the LNNB-II Memory Scale appeared to be predominantly a test of verbal memory. Practical consequences of these findings were discussed.

A program to test equality of two or more coefficients of variation

Two tests of the hypothesis that two or more samples are drawn from populations with equal coefficients of variation are reviewed, and their use is illustrated A program that performs the tests, written in QuickBASIC, is described.

Stress-Related Symptoms among Dental Hygienists

A sample of 49 practicing dental hygienists responded to a survey which included Derogatis and Spencers 1982 Brief Symptom Inventory, a measure of stress-related symptoms, and a list of items considered stressful based on previous research with hygienists, arranged in six content categories. As hypothesized, in comparison with national norms, hygienists displayed significantly more symptoms on the over-all inventory and also on eight of nine subscales. Also as hypothesized, on the list of stressors, items pertaining to time pressure were rated as significantly more stressful than items from other behavioral domains. However, contrary to prediction, the correlation between over-all symptom level on the inventory and self-rated stress did not reach statistical significance. A variety of implications for stress reduction in dental hygiene practice are discussed.

Conceptual and Motoric Impulsivity in College Students

Summary Twenty-three college students of both sexes were given the adult version of Kagans Matching Familiar Figures Test; tests requiring them to draw a line and a circle slowly vs. rapidly; and a motor inhibition task in which they were instructed to press a telegraph key in response to tones presented in the presence of only particular light displays. Ss also rated themselves on a scale of impulsivity. Neither number of errors nor response latencies on the Matching Familiar Figures Test was significantly correlated with the other measures of impulsivity, but as expected, the two measures were correlated negatively (r = -.48) with each other. Self-ratings were unrelated to the other measures, but scores on the draw a line, draw a circle, and motor inhibition tasks were interrelated. These data do not support Messers hypothesis that performance in the Matching Familiar Figures Test is correlated with performance on other tasks indexing impulsive behavior.

Effects of Speed Vs Accuracy Instructions and Field Dependence on College Students' Digit-Symbol Matching Performance:

Correct digit-symbol matches of 68 women were significantly higher than those of 26 men. Speed instructions led to higher scores than those for accuracy or a neutral approach. Field dependence (Group Embedded Figures Test scores) interacted with instructions and field independent subjects scored higher when instructed to be accurate.

INTERMODAL STIMULUS GENERALIZATION AND RETENTION OF HABITUATION IN EARTHWORMS

50 mature earthworms (L. terrestris) were assigned randomly to one of five stimulus conditions in an experiment with three phases. In Phase I Group Light-Vibration-Light received 2-sec. presentations of white light (with an 18-sec. intertrial interval) to an habituation criterion; in Phase II vibration was presented on the same schedule; and in Phase III, which began 2 hr. after the end of Phase I, presentations of light were given. Group Vibration-Light-Vibration received vibration in Phases I and III and light in Phase II; Groups Vibration-Rest-Vibration and Light-Rest-Light received no stimulation in Phase II. A control group was observed on the same schedule but received no stimuli. Results indicated that previous habituation to one stimulus reduced responses to the other stimulus, regardless of the type of stimulation (stimulus generalization). Retention of habituation from Phase I to Phase III was reduced in Group Light-Vibration-Light but not Group Vibration-Light-Vibration, relative to their counterparts receiving rest in Phase II. Thus results indicated that the effects of habituation in this organism depend on the presence of stimuli from other modalities.

Effects of stimulus characteristics and sex of subject on perceived emotion

To determine the influence of pupil size, eye size, sex of stimulus face, and sex of subject on perceived emotion, 308 college students filled in missing features on stimulus faces. Each face was independently rated by two male judges on a continuum of negative to positive emotion. Analysis indicated that sex of subject was the only variable to affect perceived emotion. Women (n = 175) tended to draw faces that were judged to be more positive than faces drawn by men (n = 133).

NEURAL NETWORK SIMULATION OF VISUAL INSPECTION OF GRAPHS OF SINGLE-SUBJECT INTERVENTIONS '

Judgments of the effectiveness of single-subject behavioral interventions are often based on visual examination of graphs of response data, but previous research indicates that such judgments are often unreliable and flawed. Here it is proposed that artificial neural networks could be developed to simulate the judgments of expert judges. A prototype of such a network was designed and trained in the present study, and its use in novel experiments matched the estimates of the expert whose judgments were simulated significantly better than did a prediction equation developed using a multiple regression approach.

Parents’ child care experience: effects of sex and parity

A sample of 94 couples was surveyed to determine effects on child care experience associated with sex, parity, and various other demographic variables; experience was measured by scores on the Experience with Young Children Scale. As expected, women had higher scores than men; experience was a linear function of parity for men, but not for women, and was unrelated to scores on the Attitudes Toward Women Scale. Couples tended to resemble each other in experience, even when parity was statistically controlled. Discussion emphasized implications for sex differences in child care responsibility, and the need for additional attention to socialization for the child caregiver role.