Voluntary Attention Enhances Contrast Appearance

ABSTRACT— Voluntary (endogenous, sustained) covert spatial attention selects relevant sensory information for prioritized processing. The behavioral and neural consequences of such selection have been extensively documented, but its phenomenology has received little empirical investigation. We asked whether voluntary attention affects the subjective appearance of contrast—a fundamental dimension of visual perception. We used a demanding rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task to direct endogenous attention to a given location and measured perceived contrast at the attended and unattended locations. Attention increased perceived contrast of suprathreshold stimuli and also improved performance on a concurrent orientation discrimination task at the cued location. We ruled out response bias as an alternative account of the pattern of results. Thus, this study establishes that voluntary attention enhances perceived contrast. This phenomenological consequence links behavioral and neurophysiological studies on the effects of attention.     

Perceptions of Type 1 Diabetes among Affected Youth and their Peers

Management of type 1 diabetes (T1D) involves balancing several components including diet, exercise, and medication. Peer involvement in management tasks is an important, but understudied, issue in T1D. This study presents results of a preliminary examination of perceptions of disease management in youth with T1D and their peers. Data were collected using a mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative data) approach during medical education time at a camp for youth with T1D and their peers. Results suggest that both youth with T1D and their peers believe that peers need more information about medical consequences of having diabetes. Further, youth with T1D and their peers would like coaching on how peers may help the child with T1D manage their illness better. Results provide preliminary ideas for intervention (i.e., including peers, assessing social support) in the medical setting as well as ideas for future research (i.e., examining relationships among perceptions and gender, time since diagnosis).     

It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know: Testing a model of the relative importance of social networks to academic performance

Applying three mathematical modeling techniques, this study proposes and tests the fit of an academic performance model, and then estimates the relative importance of four performance predictors: academic ability, performance goal orientation, educational technology use, and social network density. Drawing on social network theory, findings from this study show that social network density is a statistically important and unique predictor of academic performance, suggesting that “who you know” matters in large classroom settings. However, this study also indicates that academic ability is the most dominant factor in the explanation of academic performance. Practical and theoretical implications for enhancing academic performance through social networks are discussed.

Cross-language message- and word-level transfer effects in bilingual text processing

The present study examined the nature of the mental representations bilinguals form when reading a text and to what extent they are language specific. English-French bilinguals read five pairs of passages in succession while their eye movements were tracked. Dependent measures were overall reading times on second passages and fixation latencies on target cognates embeddedin second passages. The first passage w as (1) identical tothe second passage in the pair, (2) related in content only (i.e., a translation), (3) related in content and some words (i.e., translation with cognates), (4) related in words only (i.e., different content with the same cognates), or (5) unrelated. There was substantial cross-language facilitation for passages that shared meaning, but the amount of transfer was less than that for identical passages, indicating that memory representations are largely meaning based but do contain some information about surface form. Cross-language transfer for cognates was observed but depended on the skill of the bilinguals in their second language, the direction of transfer, and whether the passages shared meaning. These results are discussed in relation to Raney's (2003) model of text representation.     

An Examination of the Role of Self-Control and Impact of Ego Depletion on Integrity Testing

This article examines the role of self-control in the measurement of integrity. We present two empirical studies. In Study 1 we examine the nomological net for the integrity construct. Results indicate that self-control accounts for a substantial portion of the variance in integrity scores over and above measures of the Big Five personality dimensions. In Study 2, we examine the impact of ego depletion on a measure of integrity. Consistent with hypotheses, results indicate that scores on measures of integrity and self-control were lower under ego depletion conditions. Implications for the measurement and assessment of integrity are discussed.     

Neuropsychological Test Administration by Videoconference: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The purpose of the current systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effect of videoconference administration on adult neurocognitive tests. We investigated whether the scores acquired during a videoconference administration were different from those acquired during on-site administration. Relevant counterbalanced crossover studies were identified according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Twelve studies met criteria for analysis. Included samples consisted of healthy adults as well as those with psychiatric or neurocognitive disorders, with mean ages ranging from 34 to 88 years. Heterogenous data precluded the interpretation of a summary effect for videoconference administration. Studies including particpants with a mean age of 65–75, as well as studies that utilized a high speed network connection, indicated consistent performance across videoconference and on-site conditions, however studies with older participants and slower connections were more variable. Subgroup analyses indicated that videoconference scores for untimed tasks and those allowing for repetition fell 1/10th of a standard deviation below on-site scores. Test specific analyses indicated that verbally-mediated tasks including digit span, verbal fluency, and list learning were not affected by videoconference administration. Scores for the Boston Naming Test fell 1/10th of a standard deviation below on-site scores. Heterogenous data precluded meaningful interpretation of tasks with a motor component. The administration of verbally-mediated tasks by qualified professionals using existing norms was supported, and the use of visually-dependent tasks may also be considered. Variability in previous studies indicates a need for further investigation of motor-dependent tasks. We recommend the development of clinical best practices for conducting neuropsychological assessments via videoconference, and advocate for reimbursement structures that allow consumers to benefit from the increased access, convenience, and cost-savings that remote assessment provides.     

Understanding print: early reading development and the contributions of home literacy experiences

This study explored the development of children's early understanding of visual and orthographic aspects of print and how this is related to early reading acquisition. A total of 474 children, ages 48 to 83 months, completed standardized measures of phonological awareness and early reading skills. They also completed experimental tasks that tapped their understanding of what constitutes "readable" print. The parents of participants completed a questionnaire regarding their children's home literacy experiences. The data showed systematic development in children's understanding of print conventions and English orthography and spelling. Regression analyses indicated that print knowledge was related to early reading skill, even after accounting for variance due to age and phonological awareness. Furthermore, parents' ratings of the extent of their children's involvement in activities that led to practice in reading and writing most consistently predicted the development of emerging literacy skills, including understanding of the conventions of the English writing system. Little relation between print knowledge and the frequency of storybook reading by adults was observed.     

Homophone effects in lexical decision

The role of phonology in word recognition was investigated in 6 lexical-decision experiments involving homophones (e.g., MAID-MADE). The authors' goal was to determine whether homophone effects arise in the lexical-decision task and, if so, in what situations they arise, with a specific focus on the question of whether the presence of pseudohomophone foils (e.g., BRANE) causes homophone effects to be eliminated because of strategic deemphasis of phonological processing. All 6 experiments showed significant homophone effects, which were not eliminated by the presence of pseudohomophone foils. The authors propose that homophone effects in lexical decision are due to the nature of feedback from phonology to orthography.