Paul T. Mountjoy

Recent Technological Advancements in the Treatment of Enuresis Theory and Commercial Devices

Antienuretic devices sold commercially symbolize the progression in technological improvements from historical to modem treatment approaches. Underlying these advancements are theoretical changes in operant psychology, through whose applications the science in psychophysiology has become prominent. This article traces the treatment of enuresis through its early developmental stages, identifying psychophysiology as a cognitive problem, to modem inventions of mechanical devices and the shifts in operant paradigms to accommodate them. Implications for criteria in selecting effective antienuretic devices are also reviewed, as are problems engendered with the competitive market.

Some Early Attempts to Modify Penile Erection in Horse and Human: An Historical Analysis

Between 1856 and 1919 Letters Patent were granted by the U.S. Patent Office for 49 antimasturbatory devices; 35 were designed for application to Equus caballus, while 14 were intended for Homo sapiens. Many of the devices relied upon a simple servomechanism (or feedback loop) in which the precurrent response of erection produced aversive stimulation and hence reflex detumescence. After analysis of the surprisingly modern principles involved, an attempt is made to relate the onset and cessation of patenting activities to more general cultural variables in Euro-American society.

The vestibular hypothesis of the moon illusion

Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that a change in vestibular stimulation can result in apparent discrepancies in the perceived size and distance of two targets of equal size placed at identical distances, but in different planes of space. This effect could be offered as a reasonable explanation, at least in part, for the moon illusion phenomenon.

The effect of head position on size discrimination

Twenty Ss were required to match the size and distance of equal-size disks in different planes of space. Head position was shown to be significantly related to the Ss’ inability to make these discriminations. Evidence was also given to support the hypothesis of a vestibular contribution to space perception.

Ben Franklin the Protobehaviorist I: Self-Management of Behavior

Ben Franklin developed an elaborate program to modify his own behavior which is of interest not only because it was implemented in 1728, but because he clearly demonstrated sophistication in several aspects of behavior analysis. An attempt is made to place Franklin in historical perspective by identifying persons and published works which influenced him. Then excerpts from his autobiography that describe the program are analyzed in terms of the behavioral principles and procedures he employed. It is proposed that many of Franklin’s accomplishments were a function of his self-management system and his behavioral expertise.

Jean Henri Masers De Latude (1725–1805): an Unappreciated Practical Psychologist

The Memoires of Latude contain detailed descriptions of behavioral events. 2 such descriptions are singled out for analysis in terms of their correspondence to modern psychological concepts. The accuracy of the descriptions is of historical interest because they precede laboratory analysis of similar events by more than a century.

Unconditioned aggression in the Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica

Isolate, social, and social-isolate quail were paired to observe fighting, pecking, jumping and vocalization. Data showed a direct relationship between isolation and aggression. Slightly more consistent pecking was also recorded from the isolate birds. Jumping behavior was also directly related to social and social-isolate rearing conditions. Aggressive vocalization was observed in only two of the isolated birds.

The Dancing Horse, A Learned Pig, and Muscle Twitches

Two documents (one each from the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries) which described specific behavioral techniques designed to train a nonhuman organism which then appeared to behave in a sapient manner were analyzed. The behavioral operations isolated were stimulus control, conditioned reinforcers and punishers, deprivation, time out, stimulus fading, successive approximation, backward chaining, negative reinforcement, response prevention, and ratio behaviors. These documents were discussed in relation to the clever Hans phenomenon, modern laboratory investigations into “private” behaviors (operationally defined as muscle twitches) and the historiography of psychology.

Radiation produced avoidance to morphine

The effects of two concentrations of morphine solution (CS) upon a conditioned avoidance response were investigated with X-radiation as the UCS. The effects of avoidance conditioning were measured by changes in preference for morphine solution and tapwater. Both groups displayed an immediate and statistically significant drop in morphine preference. The results indicated that a physiological dependency could be modified by avoidance conditioning techniques in the rat.

Effect of LSD-25 on Activity Level of the Hooded Rat

Most psychopharmacological studies investigating the behavioral effects of LSD-25 have reported a decrement in operant performance ( 2 ) . Before we can accept these results as unequivocal, however, parametric investigations of the drugs effects on behavior must be conducted across a wide range of species. In the present study we chose general activity as a response measure for it is easily adapted to work with most species and eliminates time-consuming training procedures. Ss were 1 0 adult female Long-Evans rats about 8 0 days old. The apparatus was a standard laboratory activity wheel modified to record a fifth of a revolution in either direction. Illumination was provided by a 150-w bulb, located 4 ft. above the apparatus. All Ss were placed on a 23-hr.-food-and-water deprivation schedule for 1 2 days before the experiment. Deprivation continued during the experiment. Each S received both LSD and saline solutions in a counterbalanced design. All Ss received 0.5-cc intraperitoneal injections of LSD-25 (0.1 mg/cc) and normal saline on successive days. Each S was tested for 30 min. at the same time each day. A 10-min. period in which S was housed in a cage adjacent to the activity wheel preceded the test period to allow time for the drug to cake effect. At the end of testing, S was rerurned to his home cage. Ss were fed 3 hr. later. The data were cast into a 2 X 2 Latin square, and an analysis of variance performed. Ss injected with LSD-25 produced significantly fewer revolutions than those receiving saline (F = 13.2, df = 1/17, f i < .01) . N o significant order effect was found. Thus, LSD25 had a decremental effect on general activity which agrees with other studies of operant behavior ( 3 ) . A more adequate design would include various dosages and a second control group which would have received no injections to allow evaluation of effects of injection on Ss general accivity. Although our results indicate that the measure of activity is certainly adequate for our purposes, stabilimetric measures of activity (1) may, however, prove more useful for comparative purposes.