Experiments

This paper focuses on the effects of nonbinding recommendations on bargaining outcomes. Recommendations are theorized to have two effects: they can create a focal point for final bargaining positions, and they can decrease outcome uncertainty should dispute persist. While the focal point effect may help lower dispute rates, the uncertainty reduction effect is predicted to do the opposite for risk-averse bargainers. Which of these effects dominates is of critical importance in the optimal design of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures, which are becoming increasingly utilized to help resolve disputes in a variety of settings. We theoretically examine the effects of recommendations on the bargaining contract zone. Our theoretical framework, which allows bargainers ’ final positions to influence a binding outcome should negotiations fail, provides for a more stringent test of focal points than previously considered. We also present data from controlled laboratory bargaining ...

Six lexical decision experiments were conducted to examine the influence of complex structure on the processing speed of English compounds. All experiments revealed that semantically transparent compounds (eg, rosebud) were processed more quickly than matched monomorphemic words (eg, giraffe). Opaque compounds (eg, hogwash) were also processed more quickly than monomorphemic words. However, when the experimental materials and/or procedure encouraged decomposition/integration, this advantage ...

The Lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging) sensor produced by Siemens uses five infrared beams to detect targets up to a distance of approximately 250m. The paper describes the tests witch has been develop using our new software in order to visualize the detected targets. We used our program in the detection of different types of targets, placed at different distances and in different combinations. An important goal was to see how various meteorological conditions affect or do not affect the target detection. Other types of experiments were focused on low visibility conditions, different lighting conditions (natural, artificial, day, night).

The problem of how to distribute available resources among members of a group is a central aspect of social life. Adults react negatively to inequitable distributions and several studies have reported negative reactions to inequity also in non-human primates and dogs. We report ...

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of three types of approaches to improving elementary mathematics: mathematics curricula, computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and instructional process programs. Study inclusion requirements included use of a randomized or matched control group, a study duration of at least 12 weeks, and achievement measures not inherent to the experimental treatment. Eighty-seven studies met these criteria, of which 36 used random assignment to treatments. There was limited evidence supporting differential effects of various mathematics textbooks. Effects of CAI were moderate. The strongest positive effects were found for instructional process approaches such as forms of cooperative learning, classroom management and motivation programs, and supplemental tutoring programs. The review concludes that programs designed to change daily teaching practices appear to have more promise than those that deal primarily with curriculum or technology alone.

Behavioral flexibility is a cognitive process depending on prefrontal areas allowing adaptive responses to environmental changes. Serotonin transporter knockout (5-HTT−/−) rodents show improved reversal learning in addition to orbitofrontal cortex changes. Another form of behavioral flexibility, extradimensional strategy set-shifting (EDSS), heavily depends on the medial prefrontal cortex. This region shows functional changes in 5-HTT−/− rodents as well. Here we subjected 5-HTT−/− rats and their wild-type counterparts to an EDSS paradigm and a supplementary latent inhibition task. Results indicate that 5-HTT−/− rats also show improved EDSS, and indicate that reduced latent inhibition may contribute as an underlying mechanism.

This study investigated whether the use of Spelling Through Morphographs (Lessons 1-45) designed for grade 3–adult students could be effective when implemented in an above-average educational setting with grade 2 students. Using a crossgrade, longitudinal design, designed to provide a methodological foundation for addressing the acceleration of student learning, the study compared the achievement of grade 2 experimental students on a criterionreferenced spelling test with demographically similar control students in grades 2 through 5. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results found the achievement of the grade 2 experimental students significantly higher than both grade 2 (effect size = 2.95) and grade 3 (effect size = 2.04) controls, with no significant difference found between grade 4 and grade 5 controls. Discussed are implications of the cross-grade design and the findings for potentially affecting the advocacy of school decision makers for Spelling Through Morphographs in particular...