Effects of texture and shape on perceived time to passage: Knowing “what” influences judging “when”

In the present study, we examined whether it is easier to judge when an object will pass one’s head if the object’s surface is textured. There are three reasons to suspect that this might be so: First, the additional (local) optic flow may help one judge the rate of expansion and the angular velocity more reliably. Second, local deformations related to the change in angle between the object and the observer could help track the object’s position along its path. Third, more reliable judgments of the object’s shape could help separate global expansion caused by changes in distance from expansion due to changes in the angle between the object and the observer. We can distinguish among these three reasons by comparing performance for textured and uniform spheres and disks. Moving objects were displayed for 0.5–0.7 sec. Subjects had to decide whether the object would pass them before or after a beep that was presented 1 sec after the object started moving. Subjects were not more precise with textured objects. When the disk rotated in order to compensate for the orientation-related contraction that its image would otherwise undergo during its motion, it appeared to arrive later, despite the fact that this strategy increases the global rate of expansion. We argue that this is because the expected deformation of the object’s image during its motion is considered when time to passage is judged. Therefore, the most important role for texture in everyday judgments of time to passage is probably that it helps one judge the object’s shape and thereby estimate how its image will deform as it moves.     

On the degree of attention and capacity limitation in tactile processing

Two conditions were used to evaluate Os’ ability to detect near-threshold vibrotactile stimuli. In both conditions, a signal was presented at one of three skin loci, the O stating which locus received the stimulus. In the simultaneous condition, there was a single observation interval during which a signal occurred at one of the three loci. In the sequential condition, there were three observation intervals presented successively at 800-msec intervals, with a signal presented at one of the three loci during one of the three observation intervals. Each observation interval was associated with a particular locus. Theories postulating attentional control and limitations of capacity during this type of vibrotactile information processing predict performance to be inferior in the simultaneous condition, since that condition requires sharing of attention among the three possible sources of tactile stimulation. The data showed performance to be identical in the two conditions. This result not only disconfirms the single-channel model proposed by Franzen, Markowitz, and Swets (1970), but also argues for an unlimited-capacity nonattention model of tactile perceptual processing. The results are in accord with similar findings for visual processing by Shiffrin and Gardner (1972).     

Professional Basketball's Unsportsmanlike Fouls in the Eyes of the Beholders

A series of three experiments, based on the method of Functional Measurement, has explored the importance assigned by professional basketball players to relevant dispositions of defense and offense players, as determinants of unsportsmanlike fouls. The 106 participants were leading male players in the premier basketball league in Israel. Experiment 1 was based on a 16 (2⁴)‐cell model. In an individual meeting, each participant estimated the likelihood that a defense player would commit an unsportsmanlike foul on an offense player. In each of the 16 to‐be‐judged incidents, specific information on a specific combination of aggressiveness and susceptibility to victimisation of two imaginary protagonists in an offense–defense on‐the‐court incident was given to the participant. Experiment 2 was a replication of Experiment 1. There, however, names of 16 well‐known players were mentioned, the aggressiveness and susceptibility to victimisation of each fitting the model requirements. In Experiment 3, a partial replication of Experiment 2, likelihood estimations were made from two perspectives—potential perpetrator and potential victim. Overall, meaningful importance was assigned especially to the dispositions of the perpetrator, not the victim. The findings are conceived as reflections of players' cognitive schemata of on‐the‐court violence. Basée sur la méthode de la mesure fonctionnelle, une série de 3 expérimentations a exploré l’importance que des joueurs de basket professionnels attribuent aux dispositions de joueurs attaquant ou défenseur à commettre des fautes anti sportives. Les 106 sujets sont des joueurs de sexe masculin de la ligue 1 de basket israélienne. L'expérience 1 est basée sur un modèle à 16 (2⁴) cases. Lors de passation individuelle, chaque participant estime la probabilité qu'un joueur arrière commette une faute anti sportive sur un joueur avant. Pour chacun des 16 incidents à juger, une information spécifique a été donnée aux participants. Il s'agissait d'une combinaison particulière de l'agressivité et de la propension à la victimisation des deux protagonistes imaginaires dans une situation d'incident soit offensif soit défensif sur le terrain. L'expérimentation 2 est une réplique de la première. Cependant, les noms de 16 joueurs connus sont mentionnés, l'agressivité et la propension à la victimisation étaient appropriées aux exigences du modèle. Dans l'expérience 3, réplique partielle de la deuxième, la probabilité des estimations a été faite selon deux perspectives: auteur potentiel et victime potentielle. Globalement, une importance significative a été assignée aux dispositions de l'auteur et non de la victime. Les résultats sont conçus comme reflétant le schéma cognitif des joueurs lors de violence sur le terrain.     

Prospective writing: Randomized controlled trial of an intervention for facilitating growth after adversity

Little is known about how posttraumatic growth (PTG) can be fostered and controversy surrounds how it is best measured. We designed and tested an intervention, prospective writing, to facilitate PTG by encouraging people to explore new possibilities after adversity. Adults (N = 188) with recent adverse experiences were randomly assigned to do prospective writing, factual writing, or no writing weekly for one month. PTG was assessed with both retrospective and current-standing measures. Hierarchical linear modeling and response profile analysis were used to assess the intervention’s impact, and latent growth curve modeling was used to test mediation. Prospective writing participants showed the greatest gains in PTG as assessed by the current-standing measure, but did not reliably show greater retrospective PTG than controls. Although large effect sizes for the mediation paths suggested that engagement with new possibilities may be a plausible mechanism, this result fell short of statistical significance. Prospection-based interventions merit further investigation.     

Executive self, self-esteem, and negative affectivity: relations at the phenotypic and genotypic level

Complementary approaches examined the relations among executive self, self-esteem, and negative affectivity. A cross-sectional (N = 4,242) and a longitudinal (N = 158) study established that self-esteem mediated the relation between executive self and negative affectivity. A 3rd study (N = 878 twin pairs) replicated this pattern and examined genetic and environmental influences underlying all 3 phenotypes. Covariation among the 3 phenotypes reflected largely common genetic influences, although unique genetic effects explained variability in both executive self and negative affectivity. Executive self was influenced by shared environmental influences unique from those affecting self-esteem and negative affectivity. Non-shared environmental influences accounted for the majority of variance in each construct and were primarily unique to each. The unique genetic and non-shared environmental influences support the proposition that the executive self, self-esteem, and negative affectivity capture distinct and important differences between people.