Referenzsemantik in der Partnermodellierung

How can we explain that an assertion on something perceived can be understood in the same manner by somebody who cannot perceive that scene? This problem bases the interest in computational linguistics in how listener modeling could possibly be harmonized with reference semantics. Mental images substituting real perception appear as a way out. The architecture of the listener model has to be adapted to the creation and use of such pictorial data structures. Furthermore, the relation between the latter and a verbal (i. e., propositional) representation must be understood. The resulting architecture of a listener model with reference semantics can be employed to solve communicational problems from three general classes in a better way, as is demonstrated by an example implementation.     

One-session cognitive treatment of dental phobia: preparing dental phobics for treatment by restructuring negative cognitions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a single session of cognitive restructuring in a sample of phobic dental patients. Fifty-two patients were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: cognitive restructuring (modification of negative cognitions), provision of information (about oral health and dental treatment), and a waiting list control condition. Both interventions maximally lasted one hour. In comparison with the waiting list control condition and the information intervention condition, the cognitive intervention condition not only showed a large decrease in frequency and believability of negative cognitions, but also exhibited a clear decline in dental trait anxiety. Analysis at a follow-up of one year demonstrated a further, drastic reduction in dental anxiety in both intervention conditions, wherein the difference among these conditions was not maintained. It is concluded that it is possible to obtain substantial reductions of dental trait anxiety through a single session of cognitive restructuring. Nevertheless, repeated exposure to the dental situation seems necessary for a further reduction of anxiety.     

The relationship between locus of control and long-term stuttering treatment outcome in adult stutterers

The present study was designed to investigate the extent to which adult stutterers' scores on the Locus of Control of Behaviour (LCB) scale are predictive of their ability to maintain speech fluency immediately following intensive treatment and approximately 2 years later. Twenty-one subjects participated in a 3-week intensive treatment program based on the Precision Fluency Shaping Program. Thirteen subjects could be contacted again 2 years later to participate in a follow-up evaluation. While most subjects showed a significant long-term improvement in fluency, no predictive relationship was found between scores on the LCB scale and the level of fluency, measured in percentage of words stuttered, post-treatment or at follow-up. However, LCB scores were found to be predictive of the subjects' fluency self-evaluation measured post-treatment and at follow-up. Overall, the present study suggests that while the LCB scale may contribute to the prediction of long-term treatment outcome, particularly as perceived by the client, other client and process variables will need to be considered as well.     

Perceptual scaling of synthesized musical timbres: Common dimensions,specificities, and latent subject classes

To study the perceptual structure of musical timbre and the effects of musical training, timbral dissimilarities of synthesized instrument sounds were rated by professional musicians, amateur musicians, and nonmusicians. The data were analyzed with an extended version of the multidimensional scaling algorithm CLASCAL (Winsberg & De Soete, 1993), which estimates the number of latent classes of subjects, the coordinates of each timbre on common Euclidean dimensions, a specificity value of unique attributes for each timbre, and a separate weight for each latent class on each of the common dimensions and the set of specificities. Five latent classes were found for a three-dimensional spatial model with specificities. Common dimensions were quantified psychophysically in terms of log-rise time, spectral centroid, and degree of spectral variation. The results further suggest that musical timbres possess specific attributes not accounted for by these shared perceptual dimensions. Weight patterns indicate that perceptual salience of dimensions and specificities varied across classes. A comparison of class structure with biographical factors associated with degree of musical training and activity was not clearly related to the class structure, though musicians gave more precise and coherent judgments than did nonmusicians or amateurs. The model with latent classes and specificities gave a better fit to the data and made the acoustic correlates of the common dimensions more interpretable.     

Axiomatization and completeness of uncountably valued approximation logic

A first order uncountably valued logicL _Q(0,1) for management of uncertainty is considered. It is obtained from approximation logicsL _T of any poset type (T, ) (see Rasiowa [17], [18], [19]) by assuming (T, )=(Q(0, 1), ) — whereQ(0, 1) is the set of all rational numbersq such that 0<q<1 and is the arithmetic ordering — by eliminating modal connectives and adopting a semantics based onLT-fuzzy sets (see Rasiowa and Cat Ho [20], [21]). LogicL _Q(0,1) can be treated as an important case ofLT-fuzzy logics (introduced in Rasiowa and Cat Ho [21]) for (T, )=(Q(0, 1), ), i.e. asLQ(0, 1)-fuzzy logic announced in [21] but first examined in this paper.L _Q(0,1) deals with vague concepts represented by predicate formulas and applies approximate truth-values being certain subsets ofQ(0, 1). The set of all approximate truth-values consists of the empty set ø and all non-empty subsetss ofQ(0, 1) such that ifqs andqq, thenqs. The setLQ(0, 1) of all approximate truth-values is uncountable and covers up to monomorphism the closed interval [0, 1] of the real line.LQ(0, 1) is a complete set lattice and therefore a pseudo-Boolean (Heyting) algebra. Equipped with some additional operations it is a basic plain semi-Post algebra of typeQ(0, 1) (see Rasiowa and Cat Ho [20]) and is taken as a truth-table forL _Q(0,1) logic.L _Q(0,1) can be considered as a modification of Zadeh's fuzzy logic (see Bellman and Zadeh [2] and Zadeh and Kacprzyk, eds. [29]). The aim of this paper is an axiomatization of logicL _Q(0,1) and proofs of the completeness theorem and of the theorem on the existence ofLQ(0, 1)-models (i.e. models under the semantics introduced) for consistent theories based on any denumerable set of specific axioms. Proofs apply the theory of plain semi-Post algebras investigated in Cat Ho and Rasiowa [4].Presented byCecylia Rauszer     

Modifications of the Poggendorff effect as a function of random dot textures between the verticals

In the present research, we investigated the modification of the strength of the Poggendortf illusion as a function of different densities ofrandom dot textures failing the space between the verticals. The results ofExperiment 1 show that the illusory effect is a nonlinear function ofthe texture parameterr, the ratio of black pixels to white and black pixels, with a minimum forr=0.5, approximately, and a maximum forr=0 andr=1. The results may be interpreted by an analytical model of perceptual space dynamics, in which the effect dependson the amount of interaction between points of different light intensity. A computer simulation performed by applying the analytical model to different values ofr shows a good agreement between the predictions and the experimental data. To test the hypothesis underlying the model, a second experiment was carried out to measure the magnitude of the expansion ofthe space between the verticals as a function of the parameterr. The results are consistent with the hypothesis of the model. The overall data are discussed in terms of their implications on various theories proposed for the Poggeadorff illusion.