Using behavior-analytic implicit tests to assess sexual interests among normal and sex-offender populations

The development of implicit tests for measuring biases and behavioral predispositions is a recent development within psychology. While such tests are usually researched within a social-cognitive paradigm, behavioral researchers have also begun to view these tests as potential tests of conditioning histories, including in the sexual domain. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the utility of a behavioral approach to implicit testing and means by which implicit tests can be built to the standards of behavioral psychologists. Research findings illustrating the short history of implicit testing within the experimental analysis of behavior are reviewed. Relevant parallel and overlapping research findings from the field of social cognition and on the Implicit Association Test are also outlined. New preliminary data obtained with both normal and sex offender populations are described in order to illustrate how behavior-analytically conceived implicit tests may have potential as investigative tools for assessing histories of sexual arousal conditioning and derived stimulus associations. It is concluded that popular implicit tests are likely sensitive to conditioned and derived stimulus associations in the history of the test-taker rather than 'unconscious cognitions', per se

Experimental Investigations of Three-Dimensional Shock-Vortex Loop Interaction: Shock Reflection and Diffraction Phenomena

Estimation of the sonic boom and its effect are necessary to develop supersonic transport vehicles. The typical sonic boom is produced by the shock waves generated from a supersonic transport vehicle cruising at more than the speed of sound. The shock waves pass through the real atmosphere and reach ground level. The sonic boom pressure signatures are affected by atmospheric conditions such as turbulence, humidity, and temperature [1]. These atmospheric conditions cannot be controlled; however, they must be considered. Atmospheric effects have to be well understood because it is extremely important to accurately estimate the sonic boom magnitude at ground level