The effect of in-vehicle warning systems on speed compliance in work zones

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of augmented in-vehicle speed warnings on driver behavior in work zones. The influence of three device configurations were examined as the drivers entered a work zone which was presented in a simulated driving environment. The first configuration was a control condition which used only traditional signage. The second condition had the addition of a visual in-vehicle warning while the final condition had the addition of an auditory in-vehicle warning. Results indicated that adding in-vehicle warnings did affect driver compliance to the work zone speed limit. Participants in the audio warning condition responded more quickly to the warning than those in the visual condition. Both augmented warning configurations differed significantly and were each respectively different from the drivers in the control condition. Based on these results we suggest a combination of in-vehicle warnings. Upon entry of the work zone we suggest a combined audio and visual warning message. However, after the initial entry phase, a visual warning message shows greater promise for the on-going modulation of driver speed transit.     

Adaptation may cause some of the face caricature effect

One of the ways to demonstrate a caricature preference is to ask participants to adjust a face image over a range from anti-caricature to caricature until it shows the best likeness to a specific individual. Since facial adaptation, whereby exposure to a face influences subsequent perception of faces, is rapid, it is possible that adaptation promotes the selection of a caricatured image. We tested whether giving participants a reference average face image, to counteract any adaptation, would reduce the degree of caricature selected for famous faces. Results confirmed a significant decrease but, even without an average, participants chose an anti-caricatured image. These data suggest a role for adaptation in generating caricature preferences while also suggesting such preferences are not inevitable.     

The psychology of face construction: Giving evolution a helping hand

Face construction by selecting individual facial features rarely produces recognisable images. We have been developing a system called EvoFIT that works by the repeated selection and breeding of complete faces. Here, we explored two techniques. The first blurred the external parts of the face, to help users focus on the important central facial region. The second, manipulated an evolved face using psychologically‐useful ‘holistic’ scales: age, masculinity, honesty, etc. Using face construction procedures that mirrored police work, a large benefit emerged for the holistic scales; the benefit of blurring accumulated over the construction process. Performance was best using both techniques: EvoFITs were correctly named 24.5% on average compared to 4.2% for faces constructed using a typical ‘feature’ system. It is now possible, therefore, to evolve a fairly recognisable composite from a 2 day memory of a face, the norm for real witnesses. A plausible model to account for the findings is introduced. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From corpora to cuttlefish

The 7th Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop was held at the University of Sussex, Brighton, on 17-19 September 2001. The theme was 'Connectionist Models of Cognition and Perception'.     

Interpersonal Sensitivity in Computer-Mediated and Face-to-Face Conversations

Two studies were designed to assess the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on the development of dominant/subordinate status roles and on the accuracy of interpersonal perceptions during dyadic, text-based conversations. Results comparing face-to-face (FtF) and synchronous CMC interactions indicated: (a) that dyads established dominant/subordinate roles in both communicative environments, although these roles were more clearly differentiated in the CMC interactions; and (b) that the accuracy of interpersonal perceptions did not differ substantially during CMC and FtF interactions. Considered together, these data pose problems for theoretical accounts of CMC suggesting that the impoverished social cues in this form of text-based communication tend to equalize hierarchical differences in the status of participants and undermine the accuracy of interpersonal perceptions.     

Latent Growth Models with Floors,Ceilings, and Random Knots

In longitudinal/developmental studies, individual growth trajectories are sometimes bounded by a floor at the beginning of the observation period and/or a ceiling toward the end of the observation period (or vice versa), resulting in inherently nonlinear growth patterns. If the trajectories between the floor and ceiling are approximately linear, such longitudinal growth patterns can be described with a linear piecewise (spline) model in which segments join at knots. In these scenarios, it may be of specific interest for researchers to examine the timing when transition occurs, and in some occasions also to examine the levels of the floors and/or ceilings if they are not known and fixed. In the current study, we propose a reparameterized piecewise latent growth curve model so that a direct estimation of the random knots (and, if needed, a direct estimation of random floors and ceilings) is possible. We derive the model reparameterization using a 4-step structured latent curve modeling approach. We provide two illustrative examples to demonstrate how the proposed reparameterized models can be fitted to longitudinal growth data using the popular SEM software Mplus and we supply the full coding for applied researchers’ reference.     

Backward associative strength determines source attributions given to false memories

Source attributions for falsely remembered material were investigated in two experiments. A male and a female speaker each presented either an entire word list or half of the items from each of multiple Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) lists commonly used in this paradigm. In the latter condition the tendency of each list half to activate a nonpresented, critical list theme item was manipulated. All of the list halves differed in backward associative strength (BAS), and each was presented by one or the other of the two speakers. In these correlated conditions, when critical items were falsely recognized (Experiments 1 and 2) or recalled (Experiment 2), source attributions were more frequently made to the speaker of the list items with the higher average BAS. This source attribution effect appears to result from the binding of list item source characteristics to activated critical items during encoding, as opposed to being the result of a biased retrieval process. The results are interpreted as consistent with an activation/monitoring account of false memory in the DRM paradigm.     

Construct validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory in a correctional sample

The relations between the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996) and 4 theoretically related constructs (empathy, aggression, work ethic, and borderline personality disorder) were examined. Additionally, the relation between the PPI and heroism was explored. One hundred male inmates were administered the PPI, the Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy (Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972), the Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992), the Protestant Ethic Scale (Mirels & Garrett, 1971), the Self-Report for Borderline Personality Scale (Oldham et al., 1985), and the Activity Frequency Inventory (Lilienfeld, 1998). As predicted, the PPI was significantly negatively correlated with empathy and significantly positively related to aggression and borderline personality. Contrary to prediction, the correlation between the PPI and work ethic was not significant. Eight of 11 hypotheses regarding the relations of the PPI subscales to these 4 constructs were corroborated. Results support the construct validity of the PPI in a correctional sample. The exploratory analysis of the relation between the PPI and heroism revealed no significant relations.     

Sex differences in duration judgments: A meta-analytic review

We quantitatively reviewed human sex differences in the magnitude and variability of duration judgments. Data from 4,794 females and 4,688 males yielded 87 effect size estimates of magnitude and 28 of variability. The overall sex difference in duration judgment magnitude was small but statistically significant. It was moderated by whether study participants knew in advance (prospective paradigm) or only later (retrospective paradigm) that they would be required to judge duration. Although prospective judgments showed no overall sex effect, some levels of moderator variables showed a small but statistically significant effect. Retrospective judgments showed a larger subjective-to-objective duration ratio for females than for males, and several variables moderated this effect. Females' judgments also showed more intersubject variability than did males' judgments. Relative to males, females sustain attention to time more in the prospective paradigm and have better episodic memory in the retrospective paradigm.