Grouping does not require attention

Many theories of visual perception stipulate that Gestalt grouping occurs preattentively. Subjects' failure to report perceiving even salient grouping patterns under conditions of inattention challenges this assumption (see, e.g., Mack, Tang, Tuma, Kahn, & Rock, 1992), but Moore and Egeth (1997) showed that although subjects are indeed unable to identify grouping patterns outside the focus of attention, effects of these patterns on visual perception can be observed when they are assessed using implicit, rather than explicit, measures. However, this finding, which is the only one to date demonstrating grouping effects without attention, is open to an alternative account. In the present study, we eliminated this confound and replicated Moore and Egeth's findings, using the Müller-Lyer illusion (Experiments 1 and 2). Moreover, we found converging evidence for these findings with a variant of the flanker task (Experiment 3), when the amount of available attentional resources was varied (Experiments 4 and 5). The results reinforce the idea that, although grouping outside the focus of attention cannot be the object of overt report, grouping processes can occur without attention.     

Static and dynamical ageing processes at room temperature in a Fe25Ni0.4C virgin martensite: effect of C redistribution at the nanoscale

The work-hardening behaviour of virgin martensitic steel has been investigated in a strictly un-aged state and after various ageing conditions. At room temperature (RT), the un-aged alloy shows astonishing tensile performances (ultimate tensile stress?=?1600?MPa/uniform elongation?=?15%) but unexpected serrations. These serrations can be suppressed by static ageing (at RT or higher) while maintaining the initial work-hardening rate (ageing at RT). Parallel investigations using atom probe tomography reveal that the distribution of carbon at the atomic scale evolves from purely homogeneous for virgin martensite to partly segregated at a very fine scale (5–10?nm) after static ageing. This particular mechanical behaviour can therefore be associated with a very local decrease in available carbon in solid solution due to redistribution and segregations on defects (nanotwins) that occurs rapidly, even after few days at RT.     

Challenges for the Democratic Management of Technoscience: Governance,Participation and the Political Today

Abstract

The democratic management of technoscience and techno-scientific products, in and by society, has become a contentious issue. The issues have been framed in diverse ways, often marginalizing the question of power and of political‐economic macro-regulations. This paper advocates more down-to-Earth, anti-euphemistic, and realpolitik-oriented ways of describing what organizes today's techno-scientific world. In our market-based democracies, dialogic and participatory democracy is not central to the regulation of technoscience, techno-scientific knowledge and products. These are regulated mainly by other institutions that lie outside the dialogic order. Democracy is not a political regime free from conflict; discourses of participation have become central elements of a new form of governmentality. New concepts such as ‘sustainable development’ may conceal more than they reveal about what is at stake. Deconstructing them in a systematic manner, and building genealogies of their deployment and acceptance, would be helpful.

These recent developments should induce us to reconsider two key questions: how to talk positively about various kinds of knowledge, and how to understand the various links between science, the political order and democracy. Today we are living at a time of maximal tension between two great historical dimensions of the ‘modernization’ process—one linked to democracy and its extension, the other to human invention and technophilic business. Given these developments, we should develop a reflexive look at the roles we play in the globalization process. We must take up these difficult and contradictory questions, while not restricting ourselves to what may be instrumentally realizable.     

A brief introduction to the work of Jean Laplanche

The author proposes an introduction to the work of Jean Laplanche, a well‐known figure of psychoanalysis who recently passed away. He foregrounds what he views as the three main axes of Laplanche's work: firstly, a critical reading method applied to Freud's texts; secondly, a model of psychic functioning based on translation; and, thirdly, a theory of general seduction. Far from being an abstract superstructure, the theory of general seduction is firmly rooted in the analytic situation, as the provocation of transference by the analyst best illustrates. The analytic situation indeed consists in a revival and a reopening of the ‘fundamental anthropological situation’ which, according to Laplanche, is the lot of every human baby born in a world where he or she is necessarily exposed to the enigmatic and ‘compromised’ messages of the adult other. Thanks to the process of analytic de‐translation, the analysand is therefore granted an opportunity to carry out new translations of the other's enigma – translations or symbolizations that might be more inclusive and less rigid than the pre‐existing ones. Incidentally, such a model brings together the purely psychoanalytic and the psychotherapeutic aspects of the treatment.     

Landmark Frames of Reference in Interactive Route Description Tasks

The current study investigated the use of frames of reference in an asymmetrical spatial dialogue task. Participants navigated through a real environment by following instructions provided by other participants guiding them over the phone. The dialogues were transcribed and analysed to locate the introduction of landmarks. We examined which frames of reference were used to introduce these landmarks and how far their use was determined by each participant's role within the dyads (i.e. guide vs. guided person). Results revealed that both partners contributed to the dialogue by introducing landmarks. However, the guides introduced more landmarks than the guided persons and were also more likely to use perspective taking when doing so. These results are discussed in the light of perspective taking and collaboration in dialogue. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isolement et solitude au travail : l’exemple des agents d’accueil de parcs urbains. Des effets pathogènes aux processus de régulation et de dégagement

Through action-research case study in the area of “Parks and Gardens”, this paper focused on the relations between “aloneness”, “loneliness” and “solitude” at work and their necessary distinctions. The Socio-Clinical work psychology approach used during the intervention helped to highlight some key elements. While aloneness characterizes a stretched between the subject and its external environment link, loneliness and solitude are defined as intra-subjective process mainly emotional psycho. These last notions remain in any case a test for physical and psychological occupational health. It seems that the outcomes depend largely on the ability of the subject to convert aloneness to solitude. In our case study three valences of aloneness with different level of risk for health, were underline: solitude, as creative aloneness; defensive aloneness; and loneliness. The advantages of this new approach for prevention are discussed in the positioning relative to other work on the subject.     

Pupil diameter measurement errors as a function of gaze direction in corneal reflection eyetrackers

Pupil dilation is a useful, noninvasive technique for measuring the change in cognitive load. Since it is implicit and nonverbal, it is particularly useful with preverbal or nonverbal participants. In cognitive psychology, pupil dilation is most often measured by corneal reflection eye-tracking devices. The present study investigates the effect of gaze position on pupil size estimation by three common eye-tracking systems. The task consisted of a simple object pursuit situation, as a sphere rotated around the display screen. Systematic errors of pupil size estimation were found with all three systems. Implications for task-elicited pupillometry, especially for gaze-contingent studies such as object tracking or reading, are discussed.     

Amélioration de la qualité de vie au travail dans les unités de soins : la démarche ORSOSA

Improve the quality of working conditions is a major issue for healthcare workers who have to deal with productivity obligations and multiple procedures. Based on the magnet hospital concept, the ORSOSA study (prospective cohort study of 4000 helthcare workers) helped develop and validate a methodolody that allows to quickly diagnose the levels of psychological and organizational constraints (CPO) from the staff’s point of view / of the staff. The ORSOSA method relies on an organisational psychologist who launches a dynamic during the diagnostic feedback phase. He gets the team to appropriate the strengths and weaknesses and to rank their recommendations. This article presents an overview of the method and it the first stages of its evaluations.     

Individual differences in perceptual sensitivity and response bias in anxiety: Evidence from emotional faces

We investigated the perception of emotional stimuli in anxious individuals and non-anxious cohorts. Signal detection theory analysis was applied to the discrimination of emotionally charged faces at several points along a continuum of emotional intensity. This design permitted the derivation of multiple measures of sensitivity and response bias for fearful and for happy faces. Anxious individuals lacked a conservative bias in judging fearful stimuli and a liberal bias in judging positive stimuli compared with non-anxious individuals. In addition, anxious participants had lower perceptual sensitivity (d′) than non-anxious participants for mildly threatening stimuli, as well as a trend towards lower perceptual sensitivity for moderately positive stimuli. These results suggest that the processing of threat information in anxiety is affected by sensitivity and bias differently at different levels of affective intensity.