COMPUTERS IN THE PSYCHOLOGY LABORATORY

This document is a collection of papers from the 1969 Digital Equipment Computer Users Society (DECUS) proceedings, exploring the applications of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) computers in psychological research laboratories.

The papers collectively showcase the innovative and transformative role of small, dedicated computers like the LINC, PDP-5, PDP-7, and PDP-8 in automating and enhancing psychological experimentation. Key areas of focus include:

1. Automation and Real-Time Control: Computers are presented as essential tools for precise, real-time control of complex experimental parameters and contingencies in fields such as operant conditioning (e.g., DRL, SRW, ARG schedules), psychophysical experiments, and behavioral pharmacology. This capability allowed for the implementation of experiments that were previously impractical or impossible, offering psychologists greater control and flexibility.
2. Advanced Data Handling: The systems facilitated efficient, high-speed acquisition, storage, and preliminary analysis of extensive experimental data. This enabled detailed microanalysis of behavior, the study of temporal patterns, and the investigation of drug effects with unprecedented accuracy and speed.
3. Specialized Software Development: Researchers developed problem-oriented languages, notational systems (e.g., state diagrams for sequential switching circuits), and specific software packages (like ACT for psychological experimentation control and LUCIFER for text-handling in psychophysical experiments) tailored to the unique needs of behavioral research. These innovations aimed to make computer control more accessible to psychologists, often utilizing user-friendly interfaces such as Teletype-based communication.
4. Diverse Hardware Applications: The document details various laboratory setups, including systems managing multiple independent experimental chambers, sophisticated CRT displays with light pen interaction for signal detection and pattern recognition, and specialized inputs like random-access audio/video, touch-sensitive displays, and manipulation boards for different types of psychological studies.
5. Advantages of Dedicated Machines: Several papers deliberate on the benefits of using dedicated small computers versus larger, time-shared systems for real-time psychological research. Arguments for dedicated systems often cited superior reliability, enhanced data integrity, and more efficient control over experimental timing, despite initial cost and perceived complexity.

In summary, the volume illustrates how early DEC computers significantly advanced psychological experimentation by enabling unprecedented levels of automation, facilitating sophisticated data management, and fostering the creation of specialized computational tools precisely adapted to behavioral research needs.