Society for Computers in Psychology 2001 Annual Meeting Summary Program Thursday November 15, 2001 Coronado Spring Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Orlando Florida

    Session 1                                      8:00 - 9:20 a.m.                                              Coronado M & N
    WEB BASED INSTRUCTION
    CHAIR    Thomas E. Malloy
 

    8:00    The Decline of the 45-Hour Academic Work Week in College
               Roman Taraban, Texas Tech University
              roman.taraban@ttu.edu
 
 

                I present a historical summary of research on college students’ study times spanning the period of

                1923-1959 (the last available report) and generate an estimate of current study times at a typical

                university. The data suggest that students are allocating significantly fewer hours for course

                preparation.  This is noteworthy  in light of a first-order principle in psychology that learning takes

                time and important at the macro level for establishing instructional and research agendas and

                expectations about instructional outcomes.
 
 
 

    8:15    Multimedia Comprehension Skill Predicts Differential Performance in Web-based and

                Lecture Courses
                Ruth H. Maki & William S. Maki , Texas Tech University
              Ruth.Maki@ttu.edu
 
 

                Students who participated in web-based or lecture versions of an introductory psychology course

                were classified as high, medium, or low in comprehension skill based on a multi-media

                comprehension battery (MMCB). Students who scored low on the MMCB performed the

                same on tests of psychology knowledge in the two course formats. Students who scored in the

                medium to high range on the MMCB performed better in the web- based course.
 

    8:30    Web-Based Educational Materials: How Effective Are They?
              Lori Van Wallendael & Paula Goolkasian
                University of North Carolina, Charlotte
              pagoolka@email.uncc.edu

                An interactive web site was used in lieu of a textbook in an interdisciplinary, undergraduate course

                in Cognitive Science. Student use of the website was tracked online as well as through self-report

                questionnaires throughout the semester. Students rated the website as highly readable and useful.

                Although class attendance was the single best predictor of students' exam performance, time spend

                online with the web modules was also significantly related to learning.  Overall, 74% of the students

                rated the website as "more useful than" or "as useful as" a traditional textbook.
 

    8:50    Interactive Demonstrations and Experiments in Psychology.
                Gary Bradshaw, Bernard Steinman & Nancy McCarley
                Mississippi State University
              glb2@ra.msstate.edu

                The realm of the mind is mental processes: thinking is not an object, but an activity carried out by

                the brain.  Traditional educational forums (classroom lectures, books) cannot readily depict the

                dynamic character of human thought; instead, they merely describe them.  A new web site, ePsych,

                provides students with interactive demonstrations, experiments, and models designed to reveal our

                current understanding of the dynamics thinking.  ePsych incorporates a number of indexes that

                allow for fast access to all material.
 

    9:10    Discussion
 
 

    Session II                                                   8:00 - 9:20 a.m.                                   Coronado P & Q
    METHODOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
    CHAIR    Carvin P. Garbin
 

    8:00    Creating a Model  for Use in Classification Decisions
                Rick Stewart, Colorado Mental Health Institute
              rsxyz@aol.com
 
 

                With psychological assessment, if you know (or assume) the mean, SD, skewand kurtosis and

                intercorrelation matrix of group 1 ("normal") and group2 ("abnormal") and have client score(s),

                it's possible to estimate the underlying distributions, and then calculate measures of client

                classification fit, such as ROC and positive predictive value at that client score.
 

    8:20    Towards an Experimental Timing Standards Laboratory
                Richard R. Plant & Nick Hammond
                University of York
              r.plant@psych.york.ac.uk
 
 

                The timing of events in studies of human performance increasingly relies on the use of software

                tools running within complex software and hardware environments.  With national research

                council backing, we have established the Experimental Timing Standards Laboratory and

                formulated recognised benchmarks for testing the timing characteristics of tools used by

                behavioural scientists for chronometric studies.  We will outline these benchmarks and discuss

                our findings in relation to some of the commonly used packages
 

    8:40    Multi-Dimensional Data Visualization
                Matthew J. Pastizzo & Laurie B. Feldman
                University at Albany, SUNY & Haskins Laboratories, New York
              mp1984@csc.albany.edu
 
 

                Historically, data visualization has been limited primarily to 2 dimensions(e.g., histograms,

                scatterplots).  Newer software packages (e.g., SPSS© 9.0) are capable of producing
                3D scatter plots with limited user interactivity.  We will present an implementation of a

                multi-dimensional data visualization toolkit with an enhanced user interface.  The
                graphical interface gives the user flexibility to dynamically explore the multi-dimensional image

                rendered from raw experimental data.
 

    9:00    Fitting  Mixed-Effects Ordinal Regression Models with the NLMIXED Procedure.
                Ching-Fan Sheu, DePaul University
              csheu@condor.depaul.edu
 
 

                Recently it has become common to use generalized linear models to analyze ordered

                categorical variables.  Generalized linear mixed models in which both fixed and
                random-effects appear in the linear predictor inside a link function are newer and fitting these

                models has been restricted by the availability of specialized software.  This paper presents

                the use of a new SAS procedure, PROC NLMIXED, to fit mixed-effects regression models

                of repeated ordinal data.  Two examples illustrating the use this procedure are
                provided.
 

    9:15    Discussion
 
 

    Session III                                         9:40 - 11:00 a.m.                                 Coronado M & N
    WEB-BASED RESEARCH
    CHAIR    Richard Plant
 

    9:40    Probability Learning in the Lab and on the Web
               Michael H. Birnbaum & Sandra Wakcher, California State University, Fullerton
             mbirnbaum@fullerton.edu
 
 

                In the classic, probability learning paradigm, the participant tries to predict the next outcome

                of a binary random variable.  The strategy that optimizes the percentage correct is to always

                predict the more frequent event.  Instead, people tested in lab or via the WWW tend to

                match their proportions of predictions to the probabilities of the outcomes.  In an attempt to

                improve performance, we explored the effect of instructions concerning the optimal strategy
 
 
 

    10:00   Computer-Mediated Communication, Language and Gender in Educational

                Interactions
                Jane Miller & Alan Durndell, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland
              j.miller@gcal.ac.uk
 
 

                This paper describes a series of studies involving campus-based introductory psychology

                students using computer-mediated communication (CMC) to discuss course issues. It
                explores the role of gender in this context of CMC, using Atlas/ti 4.2to qualitatively analyse

                discourse generated in computer conferences in terms of participation, language use and

                interaction style. The results are discussed in relation to previous research findings on gender

                and language in other contexts.
 
 
 

  10:20   Influence of Restrictions onPassword Generation and Recall
                Robert W. Proctor, Purdue University
                Mei-Ching Lien, NASA Ames Research Center
                Kim-Phuong L. Vu, Purdue University
                E. Eugene Schultz, University of California, Berkeley
                Gavriel Salvendy, Purdue University
              proctor@psych.purdue.edu
 
 

                Two experiments examined generation and retrire view of passwords for user authentication under

                minimal and maximal restrictions.  Results showed that adding restrictions greatly increased the

                difficulty of generating passwords.  However, restrictions did not impede later recall for logging in

                because the generated passwords were relatively meaningful strings of characters.  Since the

                passwords generated under maximal restrictions can be easily cracked, they may not improve the

                security of the username-password method by much.
 

    10:35   Using NetCloak to Develop Server-Side Web-Based Experiments Without CGIs
                Christopher R. Wolfe, Miami University
                Valerie F. Reyna, University of Arizona
              crwolfe@miavx1.muohio.edu
 
 

                Server-side experiments use the Web server, rather than the participant's browser, to handle tasks

                such as random assignment, eliminating inconsistencies with JAVA and other client-side applications.

                Heretofore, experimenters wishing to create server-side experiments have had to write programs to

                create CGI's. NetCloak uses simple, powerful HTML-like commands. We used NetCloak to

                implement an experiment on probability estimation. Without prior training we were able to design

                and create a Web-based experiment in less than one month.
 

    10:55    Discussion
 
 

    Session IV                                              9:40 - 10:30 a.m.                                  Coronado P & Q
   INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
    CHAIR    Roman Taraban
 

    9:40     Utah Shared Courseware: Freely available, Open Source Java Software for Building and

                Managing Online Courses.
                Thomas E. Malloy & Gary C. Jensen, University of Utah
              malloy@psych.utah.edu
 
 

                Utah Shared Courseware is a contribution to the emerging shared knowledge and open source

                community offering alternatives to commercial courseware and content. Utah Shared Courseware

                is a set of open code Java modules for building and managing online courses and class pages. It is

                designed by and responsive to teachers and is not driven by business plans nor beholden to investors.

                Teachers are invited to join in the Utah Shared Courseware use and evolution.
 
 
 

  9:55     Software for Web-based Delivery and Grading of Statistical Analysis Assignments
                Calvin P. Garbin, David DeWester & Kathy Shapley
                University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
              cgarbinL@unl.edu
 
 

                We introduce software allowing instructors to simulate datasets, makes those data available on-line,

                corrects student's computations on-line (r, X_, between & within-groups ANOVA),  and stores

                student's scores.  Each student receives a unique dataset conforming to the particular data pattern

                selected by the instructor.  The software can also be used as a simulator by instructors and students,

                to explore the influences of various sampling parameters upon the replicability of data patterns and

                NHST results
 
 
 

    10:10   Internet Peer Group Projects: Using Blackboard.com to Help Student Write.
                Dominicus So, Howard University
              dso@Howard.edu
 
 

                To improve the students' sense of competence, camaraderie, and self-help, the use of the Blackboard

                Internet-based teaching platform is used to facilitate student peer review and collaborative writing.

                An undergraduate course utilizes online discussions, archived faculty responses, posted writing and

                feedback, and academic resource hyperlinks. Student feedbacks indicate smoother collaborations,

                increased accessibility, convenience, useful peer comments, confidence in Internet usage, knowledge

                of on-line psychological resources. Precautions and future directions for teaching and research are

                suggested.
 

    10:25    Discussion

    Session V                                                     11:15 am - 12:10 pm

                CHAIR: Sarah Ransdell

               Invited Address:
                Raymond S. Nickerson, Tufts University
              r.Nickerson@tufts.edu
 
 

                From Magnetic Cores To Pentium Chips: A Personal Retrospective on Computers in

              Psychology.
                Based primarily on the speaker’s personal experiences as a user and observer of computers in

                research over 40 years, the talk will describe some of the earliest interactions between
                psychologists and computers, note developments that moved the technology from that of the early

                60s to that of the present day, reflect on some of the major effects that the use of computers
                by psychologists have had on psychology as a science, and raise a question or two about future

                challenges.
 

                                                                    12:15 Lunch

                SCiP Tables for lunch at the Pepper Market.

                Let's meet for lunch at the SCiP Table To help us get to know one another we have reserved a set

                of SCiP Tables at the Pepper market food court in the hotel for lunch from 11:45-1:00.
                Come meet others working at the intersection of Computers and Psychology in a relaxed, informal

                environment. Lunch is on you (it is not included in the cost of the conference registration).
                It's a great way to meet the people doing some of the most interesting work in the field!
 

    Session VI                                             1:00 - 2:30 p.m.                                       Coronado M & N
    SYMPOSIUM:  PSYCHOLOGICAL OF LEARNING AND TEACHING ON THE WEB
    CHAIR    Christopher R. Wolfe
 
 

                The Web places significant psychological demands on learners. Some demands of technology-

                infused instruction are rooted in mismatches between humans and machines involving learning and

                memory, ecological properties of perception, and individual cognitive, social, and personality

                differences. The Web also requires students to apply advanced literacy skills including integration

                of information across Web pages, evaluation of a site’s sources, and corroboration of information

                across Web sites. Predicting the success of Web-based courses requires one to examine

                characteristics of individual students, the design of courses and specific outcomes. Finally, we will

                consider Web-based teaching practices and how they can be improved.
 

              Psychological Demands of Learning and Teaching on the Web
              Christopher R. Wolfe, Miami University
              WolfeCR@muohio.edu
 
 

                Research presented in “Learning and Teaching on the World Wide Web” suggests that the Web

                places significant psychological demands on learners. These include demands arising from

                heterogenous information, demands for greater cognitive flexibility, and demanding social

                environments. The Web places burdens on the reader’s ability to connect new and existing

                knowledge. The heterogeneity of information leads to greater cognitive complexity. The Web

                requires cognitive flexibility and sometimes leads to social isolation. Potential solutions are proposed.
 

              The Psychology of Human-Computer Mismatches.
              Valerie F. Reyna, Charles J. Brainerd, Judith Effken,Richard Bootzin &
                 Farrell J. Lloyd
                University of Arizona.
 
 

                Technology-infused instruction poses fundamental dilemmas for learners rooted in mismatches

                between the capabilities of humans and those of machines. There are four kinds of dilemmas:

                mismatches between properties of technology and (1) natural human learning and memory processes,

                (2) individual differences in cognitive characteristics of learners, (3)ecological properties of human

                perception and (4) individual differences in social and personality characteristics. Mismatches involving

                natural learning and memory processes are especially likely with Web-based instruction.
 

                Developing the Ideal Student for a Web Based Course
                Margaret D. Anderson,
                State University of New York at Cortland
              andersmd@snycorva.cortland.edu
 
 

                In attempting to predict success in a web based course it is essential for us to examine a number of

                related components. The first critical element is characteristics of the individual student, the second

                the design of the course itself and the final element the actual outcomes. This paper presents a proposed

                cybernetic model that integrates these components and explores the effect of the feedback loops in the

                model.
 

              Teaching Advanced Literacy Skills Required by the Web.
                M. Anne Britt, Northern Illinois University,
                Gareth L. Gabrys, EnvoyWorldWide Inc.
              Britt@niu.edu
 
 

                Despite hopes for the Internet to be an educational panacea, the web will also require students to

                depend on the application of advanced literacy skills. These skills include integration of information

                across web pages, evaluation of the site’s source, and corroboration of information across web sites.

                We created the Sourcer’s Apprentice to teach these skills to students over the web. We conclude with

                the presentation of the development principles and two effectiveness studies.
 

                The Impact of the Web on Teaching, Learning and Assessment : A Survey of UK
              Nick Hammond & Annie Trapp,
                University of York, UK
              N.Hammond@psych.york.ac.uk

                We report two studies exploring how the Web is impacting current practice in the teaching Psychology

                in the UK, and reflect on some of the demands that use of this technology makes. The first study is a

                collection of case studies from departments, and the second is a questionnaire-based survey of usage.

                We propose a simple taxonomy of web usage and use this to categorize our findings. Both the pattern

                of development and the details of specific usage indicate that, to be effective, web-based learning can

                require changes in modes of working for students, teachers and departments and that the demands of

                these changes are not always met.
 

  Session VII                                         1:00 - 2:00 p.m.                                                   Coronado P & Q
    RESEARCH SOFTWARE & TOOLS
    CHAIR Frederick Bremner
 

    1:00     A Multi-modal Data Collection Tool Using RealBasic and Mac OS X.
                Peter J. Molfese, Terri L. Bonebright, Theresa M. Herman, & Catherine A. Roe
                DePauw University
              tbone@depauw.edu
 
 

                Researchers in perceptual psychology have used programs, such as HyperCard, for consistent stimulus
                presentation and online data collection. With the release of the Macintosh OS X operating system,

                many such researchers will be interested in using this system’s flexibility and power for data collection.

                The current project uses RealBasic 3.5 in the Mac OS X environment for development of a data

                collection procedure for investigating the effectiveness of sonified graphs.
 

    1:20     Present, Absent, and All Distances Between : Morphing Images for Signal-Detection

               Experiments
              Lauren A. Baker, Jared P. Taglialatela, & David A.Washburn
                Georgia State University
              Lbaker3@gsu.edu
 
 

                Traditionally in signal-detection experiments, participants have been asked to respond based on the
                presence or absence of a target stimulus. Investigating changes in performance across a stimulus
                continuum between present and absent has been problematic because software now commercially

                available is not well-suited for many experimental paradigms. To solve this problem, we have created

                an original program that randomly morphs two images together at any specific distance between

                present and absent
 

    1:35    On-Screen Audio Waveform as a Viable Alternativeto the Voice Key
                Lauren A. Baker, Jared P. Taglialatela, & David A.Washburn
                Georgia State University
              Lbaker3@gsu.edu
 
 

                The voice key is the traditional device used for collecting naming latency data, however, a method
                using an on-screen audio waveform is a viable alternative. Naming latencies for the methods did not
                differ. The waveform is an accurate and reliable alternative to the voice key, and it provides
                researchers with flexibility in stimulus presentation and in data collection.
 

    1:50    Using Latent Semantic Analysis to Assess of Reader Strategies
                Joseph P. Magliano, Brenton D. Muñoz, Keith K.Millis & Katja Wiemer-Hastings
                Northern Illinois University,
                Danielle McNamara, Old Dominion University
              jmagliano@niu.edu
 
 

                We tested a computer-based procedure for assessing reader strategies based on verbal protocols.

                Students were given self-explanation-reading training (SERT), which teaches strategies to facilitate

                self-explanation during reading.  Students read texts and type thoughts into a computer after each

                sentence.  The use of SERT strategies was assessed with experimenter judgements and latent

                semantic analysis.  Both human judgements and LSA were remarkably similar and indicate that LSA

                can be used in a web-based version of SERT.
 

    2:10    A Server-Side Program for Delivering Experiments with Animations
                William C. Schmidt, The State University of New York at Buffalo
              wcswcs@acsu.buffalo.edu
 
 

                A server-side program for animation experiments is presented. The program is capable of delivering

                an experiment composed of discrete animation sequences in various file formats, collecting a discrete

                or continuous response from the observer, evaluating the appropriateness of the response and ensuring

                that the user is not proceeding at an unreasonable rate. Most parameters of the program are controlled

                by experimenter-edited text files or simple switches in the program code, thereby minimizing the need

                for programming to create new experiments. A simple demonstration experiment is presented.
 

    2:20    Discussion

    Session VIII                                         2:30 - 3:30 p.m.                                           Coronado M & N

  MODELING
    CHAIR William Schmidt
 
 

    2:30    Correlates of Sensory Memory in Cultured Neurons
                Frederick J. Bremner, Trinity University
                Kamakshi Gopal & Guenter W. Gross, University of North Texas
              fbremner@cnns.org
 
 

                Sperling(1960) demonstrated that human observers possessed an extremely short duration memory

                phenomenon (sensory memory) which decayed in a few 100 msec.  Crowder (1971, 1976)

                reproduce this sensory memory effect in the auditory system but with a longer decay time. We found

                in vitro auditory cortex and spinal cord cultures contained such short duration memory neurons. These

                neurons stayed active following a 50 msec stimulus for a duration and decay rate similar to sensory

                memory.
 

    2:50    Hybrid Connectionist/High Dimensional Networks in Modeling Aging and Memory
                Patrick Conley and Curt Burgess
                University of California, Riverside
              patrick@cassandra.ucr.edu
 
 

                Little computational modeling of age-related deficits in memory has been performed.  Based on previous

                research demonstrating that frequently overlooked representational issues play a role in such memory

                changes, this study attempted to model both process and representation in a connectionist architecture

                trained on high-dimensional word vectors. A network trained with older adults’ vectors produced more

                errors than a young-language network.  These results provide evidence that representation and

                processing interact to produce age-related decline in memory performance.
 

    3:10    Vocabulary Performance of HAL and LSA Using a Standardized Performance Measure
                Cathy S. Robinson and Curt Burgess
                University of California, Riverside
              catrob@citrus.ucr.edu
 
 

                Two high-dimensional memory models (LSA & HAL) were compared using the standardized

                Nelson-Denny vocabulary test that examined word relationships as vectors of co-occurrence values

                representing similarity in a semantic space. Results showed word learning equivalent to the 9th-10th-

                grade level for both models. Ambiguity poses particular problems for these models that use distributed

                representations that encode multiple contexts, although the results demonstrate that a simple inductive

                learning mechanism can produce representations that account for a substantial share of item accuracy.
 

    Session IX                                        2:30 - 3:30 p.m.                                                   Coronado P & Q
   RESEARCH & TEACHING TOOLS
    CHAIR    Terri Bonebright
 
 

    2:30    Academic and Professional Development: Expanding the Psychology Graduate

               Applicant’s Portal
                Zana Devitto, Curt Burgess, Catherine Decker, & Patrick Conley
                University of California, Riverside
              zana@psychgrad.org
 
 

                The Psychology Graduate Applicant’s Portal (PGAP) is a successful web site designed to present

                psychology students with the information they need to get into graduate school. Since its introduction,

                three other important information domains have been added: Doing Well As An Undergraduate,

                Succeeding in Graduate School, and Life After Graduate School. Many resources exist on the internet

                to assist the psychology student in all four aspects of the graduate experience, but the process of finding

                relevant resources is time-consuming and arduous. PGAP allows the unique opportunity of presenting

                relevant and substantive resources chosen by content editors all on one site.
 

    2:45    Octave Matching, Pitch JND, and Auditory Masking Exercises:  On-line and Ready to Go
                Margaret P. Munger & Daniel M. Boye
                Davidson College
 
 

                Three auditory demonstrations using streaming technology and Java scripts are available via the web.

                These allow student participation in classic acoustic experiments: octave matching for a single frequency,

                JND for pitch and a masking task that both use three different base frequencies. Students immediately

                receive their data for subsequent graphing. The exercises were developed to encourage an inquiry-based

                approach to the material that focuses on a student’s experience and personal data.
 

    2:55    Online Homework/Quiz/Exam Applet: Freely Available JAVA Software for Evaluating
                Performance Online.
                Oakley E. Gordon, Southern Utah University
                Thomas E. Malloy, University of Utah
              malloy@psych.utah.edu
 
 

                The Homework/Quiz/Exam Applet is a freely available JAVA program which can be used to evaluate

                student performance online for any content authored by a teacher. It has database connectivity so that

                student scores are automatically recorded.  It allows several different types of questions; it allows

                questions to refer to detailed story problems. It allows teachers to randomize the sequence of questions

                and to randomize which of several options is the correct answer.
 

    3:10    Programmed Operant Schedules for Human Subjects
                Allen H. Wolach, Illinois Institute of Technology
                Maureen A. McHale, Northwestern State University of Louisiana
 
 

                A computer program for programming schedules of reinforcement for human subjects was developed.

                Human subjects experienced FR, VR, FI,VI and DRL Schedules. Half the subjects were given a

                description of the schedule before starting training( 9 minutes per day). After 10 days of training

                cumulative recordings for humans were much like cumulative recordings for lower animals. Prior

                versus no prior knowledge of the schedule did not differentially affect performance on the schedules.

 
 
 

   Session X                                            4:00 pm - 6:30 pm
    CHAIR Paula Goolkasian
 

        Presidential Address:
        Sarah Ransdell, Florida Atlantic University

      Teaching a Laboratory Science in the Age of the Internet
 
 

        For over 30 years, psychologists have relied on computers to teach psychology as a laboratory science.

        For example, the development of experiment generators has made it possible for students to create

        well-designed experiments and test sophisticated hypotheses.  Experiment generators are now widely

        available via the Web. Advantages and disadvantages of Internet-based vs Intranet-based experiment

        generators are discussed.
 
 

        Invited Address:
        Dominic Massaro, University of California.

      Developing and Evaluating Conversational Agents.
 
 

        Speech perception and communication are usually successful because perceivers optimally integrate

        several sources of information, particularly information from the face as well as the voice. Our research

        agenda aims to create computer-animated agents that produce accurate auditory and visible speech, as

        well as realistic facial expressions, emotions and gestures. The invention of such agents has awesome

        potential to benefit virtually all individuals, but especially those with hearing, speech and communication

        problems. Our computer-animated talking head, Baldi, speaks in real time on an inexpensive PC

        platform and involves phoneme synthesis controlled by coarticulation constraints. Recent modifications

        include additional and modified control parameters, texture mapping, realistic tongue movements, hard

        palate, controls for paralinguistic information and affect in the face, text-to-visible speech synthesis,

        alignment with natural speech, and auditory speech to visible speech synthesis. The talk will describe

        this technology, the evaluation of its effectiveness, how it is used in psychological experimentation to test

        theories of pattern recognition, and its applications in language training and education.
 
 

        Business Meeting (Sarah Ransdell)
 

    Session XI                                                                                                               Coronado R & S
    POSTERS 9:00 - 3:00 pm
        Posters can be viewed from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Authors will be available to answer questions

        from 9:00 - 10:00 am
 

        How the Presence and Appropriateness of Gender-Related Sport Links Affect Impressions of

        WWW Home Page Owners
        Jeff M. Kretschmar & Christopher R. Wolfe, Miami University
        kretscjm@muohio.edu
 
 

        The present research examined how people's impressions of home page owners are affected by the

        inclusion of sport links. Gender-appropriate or gender-inappropriate sport links were included on home

        pages of a fictional male and female. Results indicated that males generated more favorable impressions

        of men whose home pages did not include sport links while females rated both males and females who

        included sport links higher than those who do not include such links.
 

        Electronic Scapegoating: Attributions of Blame and Responsibility in Human Computer
        Interaction
        J. Campbell, Christian End, Jeffrey Kretschmar, &Christopher Wolfe
        Miami University
        campbeqj@muohio.edu
 
 

        Attributions of blame and responsibility following an imagined human-computer interaction were assessed

        using an Internet sample. Participants were asked to read about a fictional blind date that was arranged

        either by a friend or a computer dating service, and then to make attributions based on the date’s outcome.

        Respondents took more credit for the outcome following a positive date and blamed their “date” more

        following a negative date.  However, the computer service was not assigned more blame than a human

        counterpart following a negative date
 

        Using Focus Groups to Evaluate Design Elements of an Interactive Web-Site for Psychology
        Students
        Nancy McCarley, Gary Bradshaw, and Brittny Mathies
        Mississippi State University
        Ngm1@ra.msstate.edu
 
 

        This paper describes the process of using focus group techniques to evaluate various elements (design

        and appeal) of an advanced interactive website (epsych, (http://epsych.msstate.edu/) designed for college

        students enrolled in psychology courses.  Methodology for conducting successful focus groups will be

        presented and the authors will make their case for using this type of discussion group to complement and

        extend traditional paper and pencil evaluation efforts.  Particular emphasis will be placed upon the

        importance of evaluation of the design elements of educational websites.
 

        “Psicoinfo - Limitations and Possibilities of Psychological Applications on the Brazilian
        Internet.”
        Luciana Nunes, Nova Southeastern University
        luciana@psicoinfo.com.br
 
 

        The purpose of the present paper is  to critically review the applications of psychology mediated by

        technology in Brazil. Following an overview of the Brazilian Internet movement and the Brazilian

        Federal Psychological Counsel position regarding the applicability of psychological interventions on-line.

        The current article also intend to mobilize the international community to support the Brazilian movement

        of recognizing the importance of having a systematic guidelines to practice online.
 

        Research Applications Of Computerized Measurement Of Response Times In Psychological
        Testing
        Ken Stange, Nipissing University
        ken@stange.com
 
 

        One particularly fruitful application of computer technology in psychology is in the research area of

        computerized testing and measurement of response latencies (a variable often difficult to measure

        objectively and accurately by any other means).  This presentation reviews some research applications the

        author has made of computerized recording of response times in the areas of personality testing, criterion-

        referenced testing, and empirical aesthetics.
 

      Personality Research on the Internet: A Comparison of Web Based and Traditional Instruments

        in Take-Home and In-Class Settings.
        West, Jamie, & Cronk, Brian. Missouri Western State College
        cronk@mwsc.edu
 
 

        Students and faculty are increasingly comfortable with the Internet, and many are interested in using the web

        to collect data. Few published studies investigate the differences between web based data and data

        collected with more traditional methods.  This study crosses two important factors to investigate these

        potential differences: whether the data are collected on-line or not, and whether the data are collected in a

        group setting or individually.
 

        WEXTOR: A Web Experiment Generator
        Ulf-Dietrich Reips & Christoph Neuhaus
        University of Zürich
        ureips@genpsy.unizh.ch
 
 

        WEXTOR is a java-script based Web experiment generator and teaching tool that can be used to design

        Web experiments in a guided step-by-step process. It dynamically creates the custom-tailored Web pages

        and Javascripts needed for the Web experiment, and it provides the experimenter with a print-ready visual

        display of one’s experimental design. WEXTOR is platform-independent and may be used freely for

        educational and non-commercial uses. Its Web address is at http://www.genpsylab.unizh.ch/wextor/index.html

Session XII                                                                                                              Coronado M & N