A rotation invariant in 3-D reaching

In 3 experiments, the authors investigated changes in hand orientation during a 3-D reaching task that imposed specific position and orientation requirements on the hand's initial and final postures. Instantaneous hand orientation was described using 3-element rotation vectors representing current orientation as a rotation from a fixed reference orientation. The direction of these 3-vectors gives the rotation axis, and the length of the axis gives the rotation magnitude. Hand translation parameters (relative timing of velocity components, trajectory linearity) varied systematically with position and orientation of the target, arm load, and movement velocity. Hand orientation, however, remained constrained to 2-D planar motions in the 3-D space of all possible rotation vectors. Implications of this functional constraint for theories of trajectory formation are discussed.     

Adaptive utilization of optical variables during postural and suprapostural dual-task performance: comment on Stoffregen, Smart, Bardy, and Pagulayan (1999)

T. A. Stoffregen, L. J. Smart, B. G. Bardy, and R. J. Pagulayan (1999) combined a postural task (upright stance) with a suprapostural task (visual fixation) to show that sway variability was not driven by optic flow in a task-independent manner (autonomous control) but governed by the demands of the supra-postural task (facilitatory control). The present study used a novel combination of Stoffregen et al.'s task conditions but obtained clear evidence of autonomous control and no indication of facilitatory control. The theoretical adequacy of the stabilization-by-looking versus stabilization-of-looking contrast was examined, as was emerging evidence that posture control and common cognitive tasks place concurrent demands on the same capacity-limited resources. An adaptive resource-sharing view of postural-suprapostural multitasking was proposed as an alternative to both the autonomous- and facilitatory-control views.     

Concept Mapping of Issues of Students’ Life in University

The undergraduate student body forms around 85.9 % of the total number of students enrolled in India, which is a significant population. It has become imperative to understand the issues that these students face during their undergraduate years as a precursor to developing mechanisms and strategies to enable student progress, both academically and developmentally. This study aimed at developing a concept map to outline the various aspects and issues of the undergraduate students’ life in India utilizing the concept mapping method. Data from participants (n?=?141) at different phases was analysed resulting in 49 unique life issues and aspects and 8 clusters. The emerging issues have relevance and implications for teachers, parents, administrators and other stakeholders in structuring and developing services targeted towards undergraduate students in India.     

Spiritual Health and Resilience Among University Students: the Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

Pastoral Psychology - Due to the positive effects of resilience on different dimensions of health, the aim of this study was to propose and examine a model for a deeper understanding of the...