Lateral biases in assumptions of lighting position

People presume that the light source in pictures comes from above, and there is some evidence that this phenomenon also demonstrates lateral biases. When investigators present multiple ambiguous stimuli or visually complex objects, people assume that the source of light is from above, and to the left. However, when single relatively simple stimuli are presented, this lateral bias is not readily observed. To investigate whether lateral bias is dependent on the number of stimuli presented, the present experiment employs a within-subjects design to present single spheres or pairs of spheres. Contrary to our expectations, leftward biases were exhibited in both the single-sphere condition and the paired-spheres condition. Single spheres that were lit from the left were more likely to be judged as convex than comparable spheres lit from the right. Similarly, when pairs of laterally lit spheres were presented and participants were asked to judge which sphere appeared to be more convex, participants chose spheres lit from the left regardless of the angle of illumination. Collectively, these results suggest that there are lateral biases in assumptions of illumination position and that these biases do not depend on the number of stimuli being perceived at any given time.     

Laterality of phonological working memory: dependence on type of stimulus,memory load,and sex

Investigations of the laterality of phonological working memory have not always yielded consistent results. The present experiment investigated working memory for letters and numbers in two memory load conditions. In the low load condition, working memory for letters and numbers was similar. However, in the high load condition, males were more accurate at the recall of letters. This effect was not observed with numbers, in which both sexes performed more poorly. Furthermore, we observed consistent RVF advantages for both tasks, although males were more asymmetrical for the recall of letters and females were more asymmetrical for the recall of numbers. This result indicates that laterality of working memory for letters and numbers differs, and these asymmetries depend upon the sex of the participant.     

Personality traits in people with synaesthesia: Do synaesthetes have an atypical personality profile?

People with synaesthesia not only have – by definition – unusual experiences (e.g., numbers triggering colour), they also have a different cognitive profile (e.g., in terms of their memory and perceptual abilities) and a bias towards certain interests and activities (e.g., towards the arts). However, virtually nothing is known about whether synaesthetes have an atypical personality profile. In this study, a standard measure of personality was administered (Big Five Inventory) along with two questionnaire measures of empathy. Synaesthetes, relative to demographically matched controls, reported higher levels of ‘Openness to Experience’ which is known to be related to imagination and artistic tendencies. They also reported higher levels of ‘Fantasizing’ on one of the empathy measures, which is conceptually related to Openness, although their self-reported empathy did not differ in other respects. In addition, synaesthetes reported lower levels of Agreeableness which we did not predict in advance.     

Mimetic Relation as Matching-to-Sample Observing Response and the Emergence of Speaker Relations in Children with and without Hearing Impairments

This study investigated the effect of matching-to-sample and mimetic-relations teaching on the emergence of signed tact and textual repertoire through a multiple-baseline design, across three groups of three words in children with and without hearing impairments and with no reading repertoire. Following mimetic-relations teaching and the establishment of nine three-member stimulus classes containing signs, pictures, and printed words via matching-to-sample procedure, including the mimetic relation as the differential observing response, tact (signing in the presence of a picture) and textual (signing in the presence of a printed word) emergent repertoires were tested. Results showed the emergence of signed tact and textual responses. The mimetic relation brought in under the contextual control of a matching-to-sample task may have allowed participants to simultaneously learn speaker and listener relations to the particular signs used.

     

Feeling Good & Doing Well: Development of a Mental Health Promotion Program for Youth

There is a significant dearth of programs for mental health promotion developed to suit the needs of Indian youth. The paper describes the development of a program entitled "Feeling Good and Doing Well" for enhancement of well being and functioning in college youth. The program development was based on extensive field assessment of stakeholders' perspectives and needs. It is a broad based program that encompasses three inter related themes namely, discovery and application of strengths, pursuit of goals and regulation of emotions. It is delivered in a group format in the form of experiential workshop series comprising of six core sessions, apart from one orientation session at the beginning and a closure session at the end. The program is currently being field tested and has a high potential for large scale applications across colleges in the country.     

Verified Hormone Therapy Improves Episodic Memory Performance in Healthy Postmenopausal Women

ABSTRACT

Studies of hormone therapy (HT) and cognition have yielded conflicting results. The aim of this observational study was to examine the effect of estradiol, via serum verified HT (estradiol, estriol, progesterone) and endogenous estradiol, on 108 healthy postmenopausal women's cognitive performance. The results demonstrated that the 43 HT-users performed at a significantly higher level than non-users on episodic memory tasks and on a verbal fluency task, whereas HT-users and non-users did not differ on tasks assessing semantic memory and spatial visualization. In addition, there was a positive relationship between serum estradiol level and episodic memory performance, indicating that postmenopausal HT is associated with enhanced episodic memory and verbal fluency, independent of age and education. These observational results suggest that HT use may be sufficient to exert small, yet positive effects on female sensitive cognitive tasks. Hormone therapy compliance and formulation is discussed as confounding factors in previous research.     

Academic Counselling for Graduate Research Students with Distance Learning

The study examined academic counselling needs for graduate research students enrolled with a distance education university. Participants were 17 students (males = 10, females = 7; mean years of enrollment =1). They responded to an open ended questionnaire on pertinent counselling needs in these students related to their studies. Data were analyzed qualitatively using thematic content analysis. Findings suggested counselling needs from conflicting work and family commitments. Accessibility and user-friendliness of administrative systems and support, ease of contact and approachability of academic staff and financial strain were also significant concerns. Prospective solutions to these needs included stress management, time management, self-study skills and income generation.