More Letter Conundrums

It\u27s time to resurrect the letter conundrum from the nineteenth century with some up-to-date examples

Tensor spherical harmonics on S^2 and S^3 as eigenvalue problems

Tensor spherical harmonics for the 2‐sphere and 3‐sphere are discussed as eigenfunction problems of the Laplace operators on these manifolds. The scalar, vector, and second‐rank tensor harmonics are given explicitly in terms of known functions and their properties summarized

How to Name the Residents

I read Mary Stewart Craig\u27s article Do Mamaroneckers Like to Neck? in the November issue of Word Ways with great relish. As an upstanding citizen, I immediately sat down and set down some regional epithets that popped into my head, trying to follow her example. I mailed them to Word Ways and returned to my mystery novel. In a few days I received a note from the editor, suggesting that I elucidate and illustrate those principles that make for clever citizens\u27 names

Immigration and Domestic Politics in South Africa: Contradictions of the Rainbow Nation

The region of Southern Africa has been part of the global capitalist system since its inception in the late 15th century, when Portugal incorporated Angola and Mozambique into its empire. In 1652 the Dutch East India Company established a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope for ships travelling between Europe and the Far East.1 From that time the region has experienced several periods of deepening incorporation into the global system

Measuring precognitive effects using a fast implicit and fast explicit task

There has been a dramatic growth in the use of modified cognitive paradigms to test whether priming or practice in the future can influence performance in the present. This has led some to suggest that fast implicit type tasks are more effective as they rely less on conscious cognitive processes. However, this view is neither consistent nor clear. For instance, Bem (2011) reported more robust precognitive effects using a slower explicit recall task (i.e., Expts. 8 & 9). Hence, the aim of this study was to conduct two fast thinking tasks, one that relies predominantly on implicit processes and one that incorporates more explicit processes and examine which of these two tasks elicits the most robust precognitive effect. The fast thinking implicit task selected was a speeded version of the precognitive preference task using erotic images which involves presenting the participant with two hidden target locations on a screen, usually depicted by two curtained areas, and requiring them to select the location with the hidden target picture behind it. The fast thinking explicit task was an explicit precognitive recognition task. In essence, this is a standard explicit recognition task with an additional ‘precognitive’ twist. The traditional recognition task has a study phase, during which stimuli are initially presented, followed by a test phase when a selection of the original stimuli along with new unseen items are presented and the participant needs to recognise the ‘old’ (i.e., seen before) and ‘new’ (i.e., not seen before) items. The precognitive twist is that following on from the test phase there will be a post-test practise phase during which half of the ‘old’ items will be presented again with an emphasis on practise and re-processing. The study was pre-registered at the Koestler Unit (https://koestlerunit.wordpress.com/study-registry/) reference #1036. A total 166 of participants completed the implicit preference task (20 Male and 145 Female, with 1 failing to provide information on gender), aged 18y to 48y (M:20.8y SD: 4.8y), and one hundred and fifty nine participants completed the explicit recognition task (21 Male and 137 Female, with 1 failing to provide information on gender), aged 18y to 46y (M:20.9y SD: 4.3y). Response time data was initially cleaned by removing any outliers using a low cut-off of 200ms or above 2.5 Sd from the mean, in a non-recursive manner (see Van Selst & Jolicoeur, 1994). For response times and accuracy, the parametric assumption of normality was checked using both the Shapiro-Wilk test and values of skewness and kurtosis (e.g., DeCarlo 1997; Field, 2013; Razali & Wah, 2011). If all were violated non-parametric tests were used. Data from the implicit preference task and the explicit recognition task were analysed separately and all statistical tests were two-tailed. For the implicit preference task the first confirmatory hypothesis tested whether participants would correctly identify the location of an Erotic image in less time than a Neutral image. Analysis using a Wilcoxon non-parametric test showed no difference in median response times between Erotic and Neutral images, Z=-0.517, p=0.61, r=-0.02. The second confirmatory hypothesis tested whether participants would be more accurate at identifying the location of Erotic images compared to chance (i.e., 50%). A one sample t test comparing accuracy of responses to the Erotic images to chance showed no significant difference, t(165)=0.363, p=0.717, 95% CI (-0.21, 0.31), d=0.02. For the explicit recognition task the first confirmatory hypothesis tested whether participants would correctly recognise words that would be repeated later (i.e., Precognitively) in less time than those not repeated. Analysis using a repeated measures t test showed no difference in response times between Repeated and Not Repeated conditions (1073.8ms and 10859.9ms respectively), t(158)=1.212, p=0.227, 95% CI (-42.42, 10.15), d=0.06. The second confirmatory hypothesis tested whether participants would be more accurate (i.e., exhibit greater sensitivity) at recognising words which would be repeated later (i.e., Precognitively) compared to those not repeated. Analysis using a Wilcoxon non-parametric test showed no difference in median sensitivity levels between Repeated and Non-Repeated words, Z=-0.4561, p=0.65, r=-0.02. Overall data from the implicit preference task and the explicit recognition task show no evidence of any precognitive effects. This raises the issue of whether there is no effect to find or whether this study simply failed to elicit them

Attempting to elicit a precall effect using emotive images and participants with high levels of belief in psi

Precall refers to the explicit recall of target material, such as words or images, which incorporates the unusual notion that practice sessions occurring after the recall test will influence previous recall performance. A recent attempt to elicit such an effect using arousing images was unsuccessful. However, it was noted that the failure to elicit a precall effect may have been the result of relying on images that were not sufficiently arousing and that the participants completing the task had lower than average levels of belief in psi. Hence, the current study addressed these points by utilising both positive and negative images that were rated as more arousing and by selectively recruiting participants with high levels of belief in psi. The prediction was that post-recall practise would lead to greater precall of those items practised compared to items not practised. The deign utilised an on-line precall study to present the emotive images and was completed by 107 participants with high levels of belief in psi. Comparison of recall accuracy between images that were subsequently repeated and those that were not showed no evidence of a precall effect. Nevertheless, post recall practise did improve recall performance. The failure to find any evidence of a precall effect is consistent with the claims and findings of others who take a more sceptical approach to psi based effects. Nevertheless, reflection on the methodology of the current experiment offers some speculative possibilities as to why no precall effect was elicited

Test of reward contingent precall

Precall represents improved memory for material practised after the recall test. Such behaviour has been suggested to serve the needs/motives of the individual. However, attempts to examine this have met with limited success, possibly reflecting the value of the reward. The current pre-registered study took the original approach of identifying a motivating reward: a cash reward of £10. The main study then examined the effect of offering this reward contingent upon precall performance. Two confirmatory predictions were made: first, that post recall practise will lead to greater precall. Second, that a contingent reward will elicit greater precall. A repeated measures design had participants randomly presented with 20 arousing images, after which they were given a surprise recall task. Following this a sub-set of the images was presented twice allowing them to practice. Precall scores represented the number of correctly recalled images that were subsequently repeated and baseline scores the number of correctly recalled images not repeated. Analysis showed precall scores were significantly higher than baseline, however the contingent reward had no effect. This may indicate a Type I error or an anomalous precognitive effect. Hence, some speculative ideas are proposed in an attempt to account for the pattern of data

Testing to see whether participants with high levels of belief in psi can precall highly emotive images

Precall refers to the explicit recall of target material, such as words or images, which incorporates the unusual notion that practice sessions occurring after the recall test will influence previous recall performance (see Bem et al., 2015). However, a recent attempt to elicit such an effect using arousing images was unsuccessful (Vernon, 2017). Nevertheless, it was noted that the failure to elicit a potential precall effect may have been due to the lower than average levels of belief in psi exhibited by the participants and that the images used were not sufficiently arousing. Such a view would be consistent with research showing that belief can be an important predictor of success in psi type experiments (see, Parker, 2000) and highly emotive images may be more effective at eliciting precognitive effects (see, Radin, 2004). Hence, the current study addressed these points by selectively recruiting participants from the College of Psychic Studies, London, with high levels of belief in psi, and utilising both positive and negative images that with higher ratings of arousal. The prediction was that post-recall practise would lead to greater precall of those items practised compared to items not practised. The design utilised an on-line precall study to present the emotive images and was completed by 107 participants classified as having high levels of belief in psi. Comparison of recall accuracy between images that were subsequently repeated and those that were not showed no evidence of a precall effect. Nevertheless, post recall practise did improve recall performance. The failure to find any evidence of a precall effect is consistent with the claims and findings of others who take a more sceptical approach to psi based effects. Nevertheless, reflection on the methodology of the current experiment offers some speculative possibilities as to why no precall effect was elicited in this instance

Exploring precall using arousing images and utilising a memory recall practise task on-line

The idea that future practise can somehow influence current behaviour has been examined within the paradigm of precognition. Previous work attempting to examine possible precognitive effects using a modified repetition priming task showed that participants were more accurate to respond to material they would see again in the future. Such a finding was taken to indicate that a task relying primarily on accuracy of performance, such as a memory recall task, could be a more sensitive measure of precognition, or ‘precall’. Furthermore, utilising arousing images as opposed to everyday words may elicit a stronger precall effect, and by conducting such a study on-line it may be possible to eliminate and/or reduce any potential experimenter effects. The prediction when completing such a task was that post-recall practise would lead to greater precall of those items practised compared to items not practised. Such an on-line precall study utilising emotive images was completed by 94 participants. However, comparison of the accuracy between images that were subsequently repeated and those that were not showed no evidence of a precall effect. Nevertheless, post recall practise did show an initial improvement in accuracy which plateaued after the second trial. The failure to find any evidence of precall could simply be indicative of the impossibility of such a notion. However, given that others have reported precall effects the failure to find a precall effect in this study is discussed in terms of possible methodological factors inhibiting psi performance

What motivates African-American charitable giving: findings from a national sample

Given the growing wealth of minority families in America, including that of African-American families, the potential for charitable donations from these households is much greater. The purpose of this secondary analysis is to examine those variables that may influence African-American charitable giving patterns. This study uses the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data to analyze the effects of multiple factors on the giving habits of African-Americans. Based on this study\u27s findings, social workers employed as executive directors or fund-raisers in private nonprofit organizations may want to identify and cultivate individual African-American donors directly, instead of relying on United Way and other federated campaigns