Functional model for the integration of gains and losses under risk: implications for the measurement of subjective value

In order to be treated quantitatively, subjective gains and losses (utilities/disutilities) must be psychologically measured. If legitimate comparisons are sought between them, measurement must be at least interval level, with a common unit. If comparisons of absolute magnitudes across gains and losses are further sought, as in standard definitions of loss aversion, a common known zero must be added to the common unit requirement. These measurement issues are typically glossed over in complex models of decision under risk. This paper illustrates how Functional Measurement (FM) affords ways of addressing them, given some conditions. It establishes a relative ratio model for the integration of gains and losses in a mixed gamble situation with independent outcome probabilities. It subsequently documents how this model yields functional estimates of gains and losses on a common unit scale with a known zero. The psychological significance of the found integration model is discussed, and some of its implications for measurement further explored across two studies(AU)

Chocolate craving and the menstrual cycle.

Spanish and American female chocolate cravers reported the usual times when they craved chocolate by answering an open-ended question. They also were asked directly if they craved chocolate perimenstrually. American women (40% open-ended, 60% direct) were more likely than were Spanish women (4% open-ended, 24% direct) to report that their chocolate cravings occurred perimenstrually when responding to both questions. The most frequently reported times (other than perimenstrually) that chocolate was craved were the same for Spanish men and women (after eating, studying) and for American men and women (evening), differing cross-culturally but not across gender. The results suggest a cultural origin rather than a physiological basis for chocolate craving.

Problemas metodológicos al analizar datos de producción de ejemplares y de atributos en un estudio sobre deterioro semántico en enfermos de Alzheimer / Methodological problems when analyzing data from a research on semantic-conceptual memory in Alzheimer’s patients

El trabajo que presentamos pretende exponer desde un punto de vista metodológico una serie de problemas que han tenido que ser solventados al analizar los datos procedentes de un estudio de la memoria semántico-conceptual en enfermos de Alzheimer, así como las técnicas y métodos adoptados en cada caso. Los problemas se han generado en torno a dos tipos de pruebas: en la de fluidez verbal (o producción de ejemplares de categorías semánticas), se ha analizado además de, obviamente, el número de unidades/ejemplares producidos por unidad de tiempo, la secuencia o patrón según la cual se han ido generando, lo cual implica tratar de analizar e inferir cómo el sujeto (sano y enfermo) «busca» en su almacén conceptual. Por otra parte en la prueba de definición de categorías, y para poder analizar de manera precisa los tipos de atributos que los sujetos generan así como sus frecuencias/ocurrencias, se ha propuesto una taxonomía y un tipo de análisis específico para el tratamiento de atributos (AU)

The objective of this work is to present, from a methodological standpoint, a series of problems that had to be solved when analyzing data from a research on semantic-conceptual memory in Alzheimer’s patients or when dealing with adequate techniques or methods for specific stances. The problems have arised in two types of tests: in the verbal fluency one and in the definition of categories. The first one demanded from the subjects the production of semantic exemplars. One has analyzed not only the obvious frequency of the units/exemplars/unit of time but also the sequence or scheme generated by data. This new approach also analyzes and helps us to infer how the subject (healthy or ill) searches in his/her conceptual memory. Regarding the category definition test, for analyzing in a precise way the types of attributes that subjects generate and also their frequencies, a taxonomy and a specific analysis for attribute treatment is proposed (AU)