Kenneth H. David

Effect of a Speed Set on Awareness and Verbal Operant Conditioning

A study to determine the relationship between verbal operant conditioning (VOC) and awareness as measured by Dulanys post-conditioning interview. 76 Ss were given instructions for either a Speed Set or Non-speed Set. Taffels sentence-completion task was used with an intertrial color-naming task. Reinforced Ss showed a significant increase in VOC (p < .01), while the Nonreinforced Ss showed no increase in VOC (p > .05). Speed Set vs Non-speed Set had no significant effect upon either VOC or awareness (p > .05). The results supported the position of Spielberger and DeNike, in which awareness is considered to be a necessary mediating factor for VOC.

Cross-Cultural Uses of the Porteus Maze

Summary The Porteus Maze has been used as a cross-cultural test for more than 50 years. The Maze may be of use to the cross-cultural researcher or cross-cultural practitioner because it is a performance test, has high intrinsic interest for most persons from various cultural groups, has simple instructions, is easy to administer, and has ease and objectivity of scoring. Variables that may have confounded the results of the cross-cultural studies of the Maze consist of background factors, prior learning, inherited factors, physiological factors, and sampling problems. Other difficulties of equating cultural groups were discussed. It was suggested that the future use of the Maze be in conjunction with various environmental variables and measures of performance.

TEACHER RATINGS OF IQ AND PORTEUS MAZE SCORES OF PITJANDJARA CHILDREN

This study investigated the Maze as a measure of general intelligence (g) among central Australian aboriginal children. 26 Ss (7 to 12 yr.) were ranked on g by their teacher and given the Maze Test. A significant rho of .39 (p < 05) indicated a moderate relationship between teacher ratings of g and test quotients of the Maze. The importance of the relationship is increased when one considers the difficulty of the ranking task, e.g., cultural differences between teacher and children, large class-size, and wide age range of the children. The results give further evidence for the use of the Maze as a cross-cultural measure of g.

Age as a factor in Australid mentality.

The article reviews briefly work done previously in the Central and Kimberley regions of the Australian interior. Investigations since 1962 had the initial purpose of comparing recent data with those obtained in 1929 and the secondary aim of attempting to demonstrate the effect of age on Maze performance. Difficulties met with in carrying out this program are outlined. What evidence is available indicates a comparative early decline in the mean scores, beginning in the age decade 41 to 50 yr. This was apparent in the work reported by Porteus and Gregor in 1963, by Porteus and David in 1966, and in the present study. These investigations agree in showing that the tempo of the deficiency increases in the next decade (51 to 60 yr. of age), followed by a drastic loss in still older Ss. It appears that among Australids resistance to the inroads of advancing age is less than among more civilized peoples and that this may be an important factor in the matter of inventiveness and technological advance. If these trends are confirmed by further studies, a most significant racial difference will have been uncovered, one that should be of great importance in any program of cultural development. The incidence of trachoma, the most prevalent Australid eye disease, has been demonstrated by Elphinstone and Mann in desert and semi-arid regions. Its possible effect on Maze performance is discussed.