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Biomedical subjects

H S Pennypacker

Publications and source records attributed to H S Pennypacker.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Is behavior analysis undergoing selection by consequences?

The legacy of B. F. Skinner's life is a natural science of behavior. The generality of its basic functional relations has led, by induction, to the unifying principle of selection by consequences, which accounts for morphological, behavioral, and cultural evolution. This principle both predicts and explains the observation that the science itself is becoming the object of differential selection in our culture. Public policy is increasingly being framed in terms of the effects of consequences on behavior, as illustrated by examples from education, economics, and politics. Survival of our culture may depend on our skill in managing this process.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1979

Effects of certain training parameters on detection of simulated breast cancer.

Forty-two female subjects, constituting 14 groups, palpated a silicone breast model in a lump detection task. Three variables, number of trials (amount of practice), search pattern requirement (restricted vs. unrestricted), and the presence or absence of lumps, were manipulated according to 3 x 2 x 2 design. The effect of all modes of practice on detection performance in posttest 1 was evidenced by an increase in percent of lumps detected and a decrease in detection threshold, but no form of practice was superior to the others. Following posttest 1 a brief search-training procedure was administered to 39 subjects which further lowered detection threshold, increased percent of lumps detected, and increased trial duration in posttest 2. The results indicate the effectiveness of the training procedure for improving detection ability and suggest the need for a more complex model to determine more specifically the effects of the practice models employed.

Adolescent↗