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La psycholinguistique comparée et l'étude de la culture. — l'A. décrit une série de recherches interculturelles qui ont été réalisées au Centre de Psycholinguistique comparée de l'Université de l'lllinois. Le but de ces recherches était de trouver une forme polyculturelle du différentiateur sémantique pour plus de 20 communautés qui different par la culture et la langue. Dans chacune d'elles, les données ont été recueillies par des moyens standardisés et par des procédés propres au groupe linguistique (sans recours à une traduction). l'analyse factorielle des données ainsi obtenues montre que les systémes affectifs présentent une généralité universelle, indépendante de la culture et de la langue, et qui consiste en une structure tri‐dimensionnelle dont les facteurs indépendants peuvent être facilement identifiês comme Valeur, Puissance et Activité. Le différentiateur sémantique polyculturel consiste, dans chaque langue, en 12 échelles bipolaires sur lesquelles un individu peut attribuer une valeur à un stimulus quelconque, par exemple un mot. Cet instrument permet de faire des comparaisons interculturelles dans le domaine affectif en fournissant un moyen de mesure standardisé et commun. En outre, les procédés employés dans la construction de cet instrument nous fournissent des mesures psycholinguistiques qui peuvent être utiles dans I'étude comparative des aspects subjectifs de la culture.

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S repeated a digit aloud for 15 sec. before adding 2 single-digit numbers presented in sequence. When the repeated digit was the same as one of those added, solution time was greater as predicted. It was assumed that the increased latencies resulted from reductions in the meanings of the mathematical symbols. With practice there was a steady increase in the experimental latencies, while control latencies decreased.

A theoretical scheme classifies user behavior into three domains of library activity-affective, cognitive, and psychomotor-and into three levels of learning-orientation, interaction, and internalization. Examples are given of library skills and errors in each of nine major classes.Applications are suggested in the areas of library orientation and instruction, testing and diagnostics, reference, signs, and guides. his paper presents a theory of user behavior that allows librarian to understand better what patrons feel, think and do when they use the library's resources and services. The theory's main feature is a classification scheme for cataloging the very large body of skills and errors that make up the activities of library users. Librarians will find the scheme helpful in a number of ways. Those responsible for signs and guides will learn the range of visual skills of users and the errors users may make. Staff concerned with circulation policy might consider how patrons comprehend new instructions. The preparation of orientation programs, tours, bibliographic instruction, and courses can incorporate a classification of the skills to be acquired at different levels, as well as errors to be avoided.Consulting the taxonomy of skills and errors will facilitate the assessment of user needs and the testing of skills. Reference services can be designed to address specific user difficulties. Finally, cataloging and administrative decisions can profit from a better understanding of the actions, thoughts, and feelings of library users. In fact, all librarians could benefit by having more organized information about user behavior and a common focus through which to view their respective roles in improving patrons' use and enjoy-. ment of the library. TAXONOMY OF USER BEHAVIORLibraries are organized according to a classification scheme for books and other materials in the collection. There are many possible schemes for grouping categories of items. In our judgment it is a sign of theoretical maturity . and sophistication in a profession when its practitioners come to a general agreement about a standard classification scheme.Library science needs two kinds of classification schemes: one for books and materials, the other for user needs and behaviors. Every librarian works with both types of schemes, one of which is explicit (e.g., the Dewey Decimal Classification and the Library of Congress Clal?sification) while the other is implicit or even unconscious. For instance, reference collections, services, and displays are accommodated to specific groups of patrons. To do this successfully, librarians must have access to certain information about the patrons, for example, their specific information needs, interests, and educational or intellectual level. This information is ordered and evaluated by the librarians making decisions, the equiva-