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FURTHER TESTS WITH THE SPIRAL AFTER‐EFFECT OF A THEORY OF HOMOEOSTATIC EXCITATION‐INHIBITION
Author(s) -
COSTELLO C. G.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1964.tb02718.x
Subject(s) - psychology , spiral (railway) , stimulant , reinforcement , developmental psychology , social psychology , mathematical analysis , mathematics , psychiatry
On the basis of a theory of homoeostatic excitation‐inhibition, a number of predictions concerning the spiral after‐effect were tested in four experiments. The predicted effect of the interaction of direction of rotation of the spiral and duration of stimulation was confirmed. The predicted effect of the interaction of the above two variables: (1) with the extroversion‐introversion variables tested in Expt. II, and (2) with stimulant v. depressant drugs tested in Expt. III, received only partial confirmation. The predicted alternating decrease and increase in the after‐effect with massed practice and the effects of the interaction of massed practice with the direction of rotation were confirmed. The predicted effect of depressant and stimulant drugs interacting with massed practice and duration of rotation was not confirmed. The results are discussed in relation to the usefulness of the theory of homoeostatic excitation‐inhibition, and the value of molar neuropsychological theories is questioned.