The Weber fraction type of discrimination outcome means that stimuli of high magnitude are difficult to discriminate. Simultaneous and successive discriminations between two long (high magnitude) lines and also between two short (low magnitude) lines were carried out. Over-all performance on the successive discrimination between the two long lines was much poorer than on the three other discriminations. This discrimination also produced the poorest performance on different stimuli relative to same stimuli. The latter result should indicate that the two successive long lines were perceived as most similar. These and additional results support the conclusion that over-all discrimination performance and perceived similarity were consistently associated even though they were not consistently associated with length and time of occurrence (simultaneous versus successive). Nevertheless, the association of discrimination with perceived similarity has received minimal attention in the psychophysics area.

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Transitions in medical school are a recognized point of stress for learners. Overall, stress is a known aspect of any period of transition, where the unknown looms large and new skills need to be acquired to achieve mastery of the next step. As the medical needs of the population grow, medical schools are admitting larger and more diverse classes. These students will undergo several major points of transition in their undergraduate medical education careers including the period of matriculation to the first year and the transition from the preclinical years into the clinical years. The George Washington School of Medicine has developed a longitudinal approach including two specific programs to support students during these recognized points of academic transition. The Prematriculation Program (PMP) and the Foundations of Clinical Practice course address the specific needs of these stages. The authors contend that an intentional approach to support students at periods of known academic risk is a beneficial aid to student success.