Effects of boundary height and horizontal size within boundary on perceived enclosure

The permeability theory of environmental design predicts that perceived enclosure will be more strongly related to boundary properties such as height as opposed to the size of a horizontal area within a boundary. An experiment on perceived enclosure, provided by 24 participants on 12 spaces in a park, indicated that enclosure correlated at .85 with boundary height and -.60 with horizontal area. These results were as predicted by permeability theory.     

A sense of presence and self-reported performance in international teams

Research over the last two decades has explored the relationship between a variety of states of consciousness, performance, and motivation. These have included flow and a sense of presence in face-to-face, online, and virtual environments. This study examined the relationship between presence and flow experienced by 75 male and female participants from several Pacific Rim nations on 4 international teams and their self-reported performance, enjoyment, and motivation associated with team-related tasks. The results indicate that in these task situations, which are relatively novel because of their cultural diversity, self-reported performance correlated more highly with presence (r=.34, df=72, p<.01) than flow (r=.26, df=71, p<.05). Enjoyment and motivation, however, correlated more highly with flow (r =.60, df=71, p<.01 and r=.40, df=71, p<.01, respectively) than presence (r=.26, p<.05 and r=.25, p<.05). These findings suggest the need to explore further the relationship between activity- or task-related states of consciousness, the characteristics of the tasks involved, particularly in terms of their novelty, and the effect on performance and motivation.     

自由观看实景图片时注意的空间偏向

本研究采用眼动仪直接记录40名在校大学生及研究生（平均年龄21.9岁,SD=1.8）自由观看实景图片的眼动情况,考察自然状态下视觉注意在真实场景中的空间偏向。为了控制图片不同区域刺激特征显著性对结果的影响,将被试随机分为两组,一组观看正向图片,一组观看倒置图片。对图片四个象限上的首次注视概率、首次眼跳方向和注视时间百分比分别进行2（水平方向）×2（垂直方向）×2（呈现方式）的重复测量方差分析,结果表明,存在独立于刺激特征的空间注意偏向,表现在水平方向具有左侧注意偏向,垂直方向具有上侧注意偏向。     

Innovation Motivation: The Need to Be Different

All choice points mandate a dichotomous initial decision: whether to attempt to replicate a response previously used in similar situations or to essay a different approach. Individuals are hypothesized to differ in the direction and degree of their relative preference for consistent vs. innovative approaches. According to social learning theory, innovation motivation should be determined by (a) the generalized expectancy that innovation produces reinforcing outcomes and (b) the need value of the opportunity to engage in "different" behaviors. In a series of studies (cumulative N = 397), an inventory measuring the self-attributed value of behavioral variation (the value set on being different, hence, the vDiffer scale) displays adequate internal consistency (mean a =. 79) and independence of social desirability and psychological health-distress. The vDiffer scale correlates strongly (mean r =. 46) with sensation seeking, modestly (r =. 23) with imaginative involvement, and very strongly (r =. 66) with Openness to Experience; predicts divergent production of ideas (r =. 36) on a changes in society test; and correlates quite strongly (mean rs =. 62) with peer nominations.     

Professional Ethics of Psychologists and Physicians: Mortality,Confidentiality, and Sexuality in Israel

Clinical psychologists' and nonpsychiatric physicians' attitudes and behaviors in sexual and confidentiality boundary violations were examined. The 171 participants' responses were analyzed by profession, sex, and status (student, resident, professional) on semantic differential, boundary violation vignettes, and a version of Pope, Tabachnick, and Keith-Spiegel's (1987) ethical scale. Psychologists rated sexual boundary violation as more unethical than did physicians (p<.001). Rationale (p<.01) and timing (p<.001) influenced ratings. Psychologists reported fewer sexualized behaviors than physicians (p<05). Professional experience (p<.01) and sex (p<.05) were associated with confidence-violating behavior. Overall, 78% of the sample reported attitudes or behaviors associated with boundary violations. The behavior violations were correlated (r=.49). Actual violators rated vignette violators more leniently than did nonviolators (p<.01).     

Nonlocal effects of prosodic boundaries

Placing a prosodic boundary before a phrase may influence its syntactic analysis. However, the boundary’s effect depends on the presence, size, and position of other, earlier, prosodic boundaries. In three experiments, we extend previous results about the effect of the position of the early boundary. In sentences in which a final phrase may modify either a local verb or an earlier verb, a boundary immediately after the first verb leads to more first-verb attachments than when the earlier boundary appears in another position between the two verbs (Experiments 1 and 2). This effect cannot be attributed to weaker effects of more distant boundaries (Experiment 2), but is likely due to the first verb being more prominent when a boundary immediately follows it, since similar effects are observed when the verb is accented (Experiment 3). The results support the informative boundary hypothesis and show that the impact of earlier, nonlocal boundaries is not fully uniform.     

Family Boundaries in Transition: A Search for Alternatives

This paper attempts to clarify Minuchin's concept of family boundaries and to modify the original definition to one based on social systems concepts that are neutral with respect to pathology. The authors distinguish between logical and physical conceptualizations of “boundary” and differentiate the broad metaphor of family boundaries into proximity (i.e., interpersonal boundaries) and hierarchy (i.e., generational boundaries). Assuming that the nature of a relationship is reflected by the extent of overlap or sharing of interpersonal territories, Wood ( 14 ) adapted Goffman's ( 2 ) concept of territorial preserve to encompass six types of territories family members may share to a greater or lesser extent, reflecting the family's pattern of proximity. The family's hierarchy is reflected by who is “in charge,” parents or children. We explore the process of boundary reorganization in families in transition, offering a nonstatic and health-oriented view of boundary permeability. Using the anthropological concept of “rite of passage,” we suggest an alternative view of stressful transitional events such as marriage and divorce. We illustrate with examples the reorganization of proximity and hierarchy that occurs during periods of transition.     

Spatial asymmetries in viewing and remembering scenes: Consequences of an attentional bias?

Given a single fixation, memory for scenes containing salient objects near both the left and right view boundaries exhibited a rightward bias in boundary extension (Experiment 1). On each trial, a 500-msec picture and 2.5-sec mask were followed by a boundary adjustment task. Observers extended boundaries 5% more on the right than on the left. Might this reflect an asymmetric distribution of attention? In Experiments 2A and 2B, free viewing of pictures revealed that first saccades were more often leftward (62%) than rightward (38%). In Experiment 3, 500-msec pictures were interspersed with 2.5-sec masks. A subsequent object recognition memory test revealed better memory for left-side objects. Scenes were always mirror reversed for half the observers, thus ruling out idiosyncratic scene compositions as the cause of these asymmetries. Results suggest an unexpected leftward bias of attention that selectively enhanced the representations, causing a smaller boundary extension error and better object memory on the views’ left sides.     

Elongation and enclosure

Previous work suggested that elongation, horizontal area, and the boundary material might influence impressions of enclosure. This article describes an experiment in which these three factors were crossed. Ratings of open/enclosed by 15 respondents on 16 plazas indicated that the elongation ratio (range: 1:1 up to 1:1.8) had the strongest effect on impressions of enclosure (18% of variance). Horizontal area (12.25 m2 vs 49 m2) area accounted for 3% of variance. The amount of variance attributable to boundary material (plants vs walls) was an order of magnitude smaller (0.3%).     

Psychometric properties of the Life Regard Index-Revised: a validation study of a measure of personal meaning

A validation study of the English version of the 28-item Life Regard Index-Revised was undertaken with a sample of 91 participants from the general population. All previous studies of the Index have examined the Dutch version. The test-retest reliabilities at 8 wk. for the total Index (r =.87), Framework (r =.82), and Fulfillment (r =.81) subscales were very high. Cronbach alphas were .92, .83, and .87, respectively. A significant restriction of range was observed at the high-meaning end of the scale. Factor analysis only weakly supported the theorized two-factor structure. A very high disattenuated correlation between the Framework and Fulfillment subscales was observed (r=.94). The Index appeared to have adequate evidence supporting its concurrent and discriminant validity when compared with measures of hopelessness, spiritual well-being, and other measures of personal meaning. A significant positive association was found between the index and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (r=.38). The Index was also significantly associated with sex (women scoring higher) and marital status (divorced people scoring lower). Revisions of the English version may address the restriction of range problem by employing a 5-point rating scale, instead of the current 3-point scale, or by adding more discriminating items. Further factor-analytic studies with larger samples are needed before conclusions can be drawn regarding this scale's factor structure.     

The Influence of Boundaries on Young Children's Searching and Gathering

Two experiments were conducted to examine how boundaries influence the organization of the gathering and searching of 3- and 4-year-olds. In Experiment 1, children retrieved miniature carrots that were in plain view from a dollhouse that was divided in half by a visual, a functional, or a visual-functional boundary. There was also a control condition in which no boundary was present. Children exhibited more organized gathering in the visual and visual-functional boundary conditions than in the functional boundary and no-boundary conditions. This suggests that visual rather than functional properties of boundaries influenced the organization of young children's gathering behavior. In Experiment 2, we increased task difficulty by requiring children to search for carrots that were out of sight. Unlike in Experiment 1, children produced more organized searching in the visual, visual-functional, and the functional boundary conditions than in the no-boundary condition. Our discussion focuses on the role of the physical environment in organizing behavior.     

Lack of laterality effect for monaural categorization of VOT and TOT stimuli

Sixteen right-handed males were tested for lateral preference and consistency of identification of stimuli differing in voice-onset time (VOT) or tone-onset time (TOT). A continuum of 10 stimuli of each type was presented monaurally to the right and left ears, and reaction times (RTs) were recorded each time a participant indicated a choice between a voiced [da] and a voiceless [ta] alternative for VOT, or between the presence of one type of tone or another for TOT. Results indicated that both classes of stimuli were perceived as having unique boundaries, with the TOT boundary being lower than that of the VOT continuum. VOTs were identified more quickly than TOTs, and the two ears did not differ in consistency or speed of identification for either condition. Results cannot be used to support the idea that the two hemispheres process voice-onset time differently than tone-onset asynchronies. In view of the absence of a right ear advantage for VOT, however, the use of a monaural task for eliciting hemispheric asymmetries is not recommended.     

Looking at pictures but remembering scenes.

Ss tend to remember close-up photographs as having had extended boundaries (Intraub & Richardson, 1989). Three alternate explanations were tested: object completion, distortion toward a perceptual schema, and normalization toward a prototypic view. In three experiments, 55-130 undergraduates viewed 16 close-up, prototypic, or wide-angle views of objects for 15 s each. Immediately or 48 hr later, they rated test pictures on a 5-point scale as "same", "closer up", or "father away." Results ruled out object completion because boundary extension occurred when the picture contained no incomplete objects. Immediate tests supported the perceptual schema hypothesis because all unidirectional distortions involved boundary extension. Delayed tests were more suggestive of a memory schema effect because wide-angle pictures yielded boundary restriction. A two-component model of picture processing is proposed.     

Why does vantage point affect boundary extension?

To determine if layout affects boundary extension (BE; false memory beyond view boundaries; Intraub & Richardson, 1989), 12 single-object scenes were photographed from three vantage points: central (0°), shifted rightward (45°), and shifted leftward (45°). Size and position of main objects were held constant. Pictures were presented for 15 s each and were repeated at test with their boundaries: (a) displaced inward or outward (Experiment 1: N=120), or (b) identical to the stimulus views (Experiment 2: N=72). When participants adjusted test boundaries to match memory, BE always occurred, but tended to be smaller for 45° views. We propose this reflects the fact that more of the 3-D scene is visible in the 45° views. This suggests that scene representation reflects the 3-D world conveyed by the global characteristics of layout, rather than the 2-D distance between the main object and the boundaries of a picture.     

Interactions between coincident and orthogonal cues to texture boundaries

Arrays with horizontal or vertical texture boundaries formed by element orientation and length cues were displayed, and the texture boundary formed by one cue was specified as the target. The boundaries formed by the two cues were coincident on some trials and orthogonal on others. Observers' accuracy in reporting the orientation of the target boundary was improved by a coincident nontarget boundary and was worsened by an orthogonal one. Conditional mutual information measures are used to show how effects due to contextual modulation can be distinguished from effects due to additive combination of the cues. The results of five experiments are interpreted as evidence that the transmission of information about specific texture boundary cues is modulated by task context but not by a coincident or orthogonal boundary in another cue. We therefore distinguish between the effects of "context," as shown by the effects of any variable not called the target, and "modulatory contextual effects," as shown by the effects of one variable on the transmission of information specifically about another.     

Event boundaries and anaphoric reference

The current study explored the finding that parsing a narrative into separate events impairs anaphor resolution. According to the Event Horizon Model, when a narrative event boundary is encountered, a new event model is created. Information associated with the prior event model is removed from working memory. So long as the event model containing the anaphor referent is currently being processed, this information should still be available when there is no narrative event boundary, even if reading has been disrupted by a working-memory-clearing distractor task. In those cases, readers may reactivate their prior event model, and anaphor resolution would not be affected. Alternatively, comprehension may not be as event oriented as this account suggests. Instead, any disruption of the contents of working memory during comprehension, event related or not, may be sufficient to disrupt anaphor resolution. In this case, reading comprehension would be more strongly guided by other, more basic language processing mechanisms and the event structure of the described events would play a more minor role. In the current experiments, participants were given stories to read in which we included, between the anaphor and its referent, either the presence of a narrative event boundary (Experiment 1) or a narrative event boundary along with a working-memory-clearing distractor task (Experiment 2). The results showed that anaphor resolution was affected by narrative event boundaries but not by a working-memory-clearing distractor task. This is interpreted as being consistent with the Event Horizon Model of event cognition.     

Token mediated tool exchange between tufted capuchin monkeys (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cebus apella</Emphasis>)

Three experiments were conducted to test whether a pair of tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) could generalize their ability to exchange tokens and tool objects with a human experimenter to similar exchanges with a conspecific partner. Monkeys were tested in side-by-side enclosures, one enclosure containing a tool-use apparatus and one or more token(s), and the other enclosure containing one or more tool object(s). The monkeys willingly transferred tokens and tools to a conspecific with little practice. Following a small amount of training, we also found that the monkeys would select situation-appropriate tokens to exchange for specific tools, but did not select appropriate tool objects in response to another monkey’s token transfers. Implications regarding role reversal are discussed.     

Correlates of Children's Eating Attitude Test scores among primary school children

A total of 107 Malay primary school girls (8-9 yr. old) completed a set of measurements on eating behavior (ChEAT, food neophobia scales, and dieting experience), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, body shape satisfaction, dietary intake, weight, and height. About 38% of the girls scored 20 and more on the ChEAT, and 46% of them reported dieting by reducing sugar and sweets (73%), skipping meals (67%), reducing fat foods (60%) and snacks (53%) as the most frequent methods practiced. In general, those girls with higher ChEAT scores tended to have lower self-esteem (r=.39), indicating they were more unwilling to try new foods (food neophobic) (r=.29), chose a smaller figure for desired body size (r=-.25), and were more dissatisfied with their body size (r=.31).     

The Parentification Inventory: Development,Validation, and Cross-Validation

Abstract

This study hypothesized that subjects who strongly endorse unrealistic beliefs about intimate relationships would score higher on a measure of exposure to popular romantic media than subjects who do not. The relationship between exposure to media and satisfaction with one's current intimate relationship was also explored. Results for the 109 adult subjects support the hypothesis (r=.18, p<.05). There was also a trend for married women who were more exposed to the popular romantic media to be less satisfied with their current intimate relationships (r=? .26, p<.10). These results would seem to have significant psychological and social implications.     

Personal and Professional Boundary Attitudes and Effective Group Leadership in Classrooms

The influence of personal boundary orientation (Boundary and Fusion dimensions of the Personal Boundary Questionnaire) and views on classroom boundary regulation (Classroom Boundary Questionnaire) on effective group leadership was studied by observation in classrooms of 8 male and 22 female elementary school teachers. A preference for higher personal boundaries was associated with a preference for greater regulation of classroom boundaries, which was in turn associated with less boundary-related activity in the classroom. Classrooms with less boundary-related activity had less active deviancy (all correlations p < .05). Tendencies toward fusion were not associated with differences in classroom management attitudes or behavior, but teachers with greater fusion tendencies had classrooms with less work involvement and a social climate characterized by more competition and friction (My Class Inventory scales). Personal and professional boundary attitudes helped to account for differences among teachers as effective group managers.