James N. Olson

Marihuana and shock induced aggression in rats

Abstract Rats treated with marihuana extract to yield 1- Δ 9 THC doses of 0.25 and 0.50 mg/kg fought more than controls in a shock-induced aggression situation. A dose of 0.12 mg/kg was ineffective, while doses of 1.00 and 2.00 suppressed fighting. When animals were familiarized with the test situation, the drug, or both, increases in aggression were not produced by the drug.

Learned behavioral tolerance to marihuana in rats.

Abstract Rats were trained to press a lever for food reinforcement in one study and water reinforcement in a second. Rats which received marihuana extract each day before behavioral testing showed an impairment of responding on the first day of drug application, but developed behavioral tolerance to the drug by the sixth day of drug application. Rats which received equal doses of marihuana after each session, rather than before, over the same period, showed little or no evidence of behavioral tolerance when the drug was administered before testing. This result was interpreted to indicate that the development of behavioral tolerance to marihuana involves a learning process.

Technicians' Perceptions About Web-Based Courses: The University of Texas System Experience

This study surveyed the technical staff responsible for facilitating the production of Web-based course materials in the nine academic components of the University of Texas (U.T.) System, focusing on their perceptions of faculty, student, and administrative/institutional preparation and support of Web-based instruction. Analysis of the results revealed that the majority of technical staff are satisfied with Web-based instruction. Several suggestions were offered for improving the quality of Web-based instruction in the U.T. System, including computer safeguard measures to deal with issues of academic dishonesty, more in-depth training for faculty, better student orientation, and precourse measures to screen out students who are underprepared for Web-based courses.

Completion and verification of ambiguous sentences

Alternative models have been offered to explain the mechanisms underlying the processing of ambiguous sentences. One model contends that the meanings of an ambiguity are processed one at a time, without interaction between them. A rival model contends that to some extent both meanings of an ambiguity can be processed simultaneously, competing with one another until one is perceived. The present study tested these theories by systematically varying the probability that a given meaning of an ambiguous sentence will be perceived, and measuring the time to complete or verify the sentences. The results call into question the adequacy of the noninteraction model, and suggest that parallel processing and reciprocal interactions at the semantic feature level are important psychological processes underlying the comprehension of ambiguous sentences.

WHO BUYS STOLEN PROPERTY? A NEW LOOK AT CRIMINAL RECEIVING

ABSTRACT This paper reports the results of field research examining the role of the nonprofessional fence in initiating and sustaining property crime. Interviews with fences, thieves, and ordinary citizens who bought stolen property were supplemented with analysis of official police records regarding the distribution of stolen property by burglars and shoplifters. Findings indicated that “direct marketing” to the ultimate consumer and to part- time and “amateur” fences is more common than previously believed. A typology of fences is developed.

How Drugs Affect Decisions by Burglars

Thirty drug-using burglars participated in reconstructions of past burglaries and were interviewed extensively over a period of 16 months. Unlike previous research with burglars, the informants were ACTIVE burglars interviewed in their own environment. The study attempted to determine whether their decision-making processes were rational and to what extent drug and alcohol use affected those decisions. Their drug use and their criminal activity were found to be inextricably interrelated. Heroin addicts were found to be more rational than previously believed and capable of controlling their drug use to a significant extent. Drug use was found to facilitate the commission of crimes for some burglars. Public policy implications are discussed.

Group effects on decision-making by burglars

30 active burglars were observed and interviewed extensively over a period of 16 months. They were asked to evaluate sites they had previously burglarized and those burglarized by others, as to their perceived vulnerability to burglary. Burglars who evaluated sites singly rated the sites more vulnerable than those same burglars when evaluating the sites in the presence of their usual co-offenders—showing a trend toward more cautious decision-making while in groups—a group polarization effect. On the other hand, self-reports indicated that burglars were more active (committed more crimes) when working as part of a group than when working alone. Their self-reported apprehension rate was 5 times greater when working in groups than when working alone, a finding which may reflect task impairment as a result of social facilitation effects.

Behavioral tolerance to marihuana as a function of amount of prior training

Abstract Rats were trained to run an alley for food reinforcement. Rats dosed with marihuana distillate before each session from the beginning of training showed a very slow improvement of performance during training. Rats that first received marijuana after reaching asymptotic performance showed a disruption of performance under the drug. These rats, however, rapidly developed a tolerance to the drug. It was concluded that increased prior training increases the rate of behavioral tolerance development.

Usage Patterns of Nondrug Alternatives in Adolescence.

This study examined the usage patterns of nondrug alternatives and obtained knowledge that will be beneficial to those involved in the “alternative” approach to drug abuse prevention and to those counseling in the drug rehabilitation area. The purpose was to identify the specific nondrug alternatives most generally used to achieve a specific mood or state of consciousness alteration. A questionnaire was designed exploring eight possible nondrug alternatives for altering the negative states of anxiety, depression and hostility, and for achieving the positive states of adventure, camaraderie and pleasure. The questionnaire was administered to 300 students, fifty males and fifty females from each of three age levels: 13–14; 15–16; 17–18. Analysis showed that social, physical, and risk-taking activities were used most frequently to achieve positive states and that distracting activity, discussion with friend, and personal contemplation were used most frequently to reduce the negative states. Few sex and age differences were found.

The effects of stimulus familiarization on patterns of visual selection

Patterns of visual selection were recorded as Ss viewed pairs of stimulus drawings in which the two members were either both incongruous or both banal. Prior to presenting the paired stimuli, S was preexposed to either one member of the stimulus pair or to the incongruous or banal counterpart of one member of the stimulus pair. The results indicate that: (1) preexposure to a stimulus reduced its potential to elicit looking responses, and the magnitude of that reduction was greater for incongruous stimuli than for banal stimuli; (2) preexposure to an incongruous stimulus affected the potential of its banal counterpart to elicit looking responses, but preexposure to a banal stimulus did not affect the potential of its incongruous counterpart to elicit similar responses; and (3) the reduced potential of the preexposed member of a stimulus pair to elicit looking responses waned after 10 sec. These results were discussed in light of an “information-conflict resolution” model of visual selection.