Multiple views of spatial memory

Recent evidence indicates that mental representations of large (i.e., navigable) spaces are viewpoint dependent when observers are restricted to a single view. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether two views of a space would produce a single viewpoint-independent representation or two viewpoint-dependent representations. Participants learned the locations of objects in a room from two viewpoints and then made judgments of relative direction from imagined headings either aligned or misaligned with the studied views. The results indicated that mental representations of large spaces were viewpoint dependent, and that two views of a spatial layout appeared to produce two viewpoint-dependent representations in memory. Imagined headings aligned with the study views were more accessible than were novel headings in terms of both speed and accuracy of pointing judgments.     

Perceived control and health

Perceived control (PC) is defined as thebelief that one can determine one’s own internal states and behavior, influence one’s environment, and/or bring about desired outcomes. Two important dimensions of PC are delineated: (1) whether the object of control is located in the past or the future and (2) whether the object of control is over outcome, behavior, or process. A variety of constructs and measures of PC (e.g., efficacy, attribution, and locus of control) are discussed in relation to these dimensions and selected studies are reviewed. The issues, controversies, and limits of the research on perceived control and health are addressed in terms of the antecedents and consequences of perceived control. Investigations should clearly conceptualize the object of perceived control, use measures that match the conceptualization, and when attempting to manipulate control, directly measure perceived control. The relation between PC and health outcomes is complex, and different aspects of PC may interact to affect health outcomes.     

The effects of episodic and semantic memory on the identification of sentences masked by white noise

Two studies examine how episodic and semantic memory affect subjects’ abilities to repeat sentences masked by white noise. Subjects first hear a list of 70 sentences that are not masked. Subjects in the framework conditions are told prior to hearing the list that all sentences refer to a contextual framework concerning a deserted island. Subjects in the no-framework groups are not given this information. Subjects in the framework-after condition are given this information only after hearing the list of sentences. Subjects then perform a white-noise identification task. The results indicate that framework subjects are able to identify both old and new framework-related information better than other subjects. Subjects in the no-framework and framework-after conditions identify old information better than control subjects who do not participate in an acquisition phase. Emphasis is placed on the interdependence of episodic and semantic memory, including conditions leading to such interdependence.     

The influence of vision on the absolute identification of sound-source position

The influence of vision on auditory localization was assessed in an absolute identification paradigm using sighted and blindfolded subjects. Vision improved the accuracy of judgments directly in front of, to the side of, and behind the head of subjects in the horizontal plane, but had little relevance to vertical-plane localization. The exact form of the observed facilitation depended on the orientation of the speaker array to the head. In a second experiment involving sound localization in 10 visual environments, there was evidence for the operation of two distinct influences of vision on directional hearing. One result supported the hypothesis that vision provides a frame of reference for judgments, and a second indicated the importance of vision to the maintenance of spatial memory.     

Motion in the mind’s eye: Comparing mental and visual rotation

Mental rotation is among the most widely studied visuospatial skills in humans. The processes involved in mental rotation have been described as analogous to seeing an object physically rotate. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging of the whole brain and localized motion-sensitive hV5/MT1 to compare brain activation for stimuli when they were mentally or visually rotated. The results provided clear evidence for activation in hV5/MT1 during both mental and visual rotation of figures, with increased activation for larger rotations. Combined with the overall similarities between mental and visual rotation in this study, these results suggest that mental rotation recruits many of the same neural substrates as observing motion.     

Intergroup contact and pluralistic ignorance

The present work examined the relationship between people's own interpretations of why they avoid intergroup contact and their interpretations of why out-groups avoid intergroup contact. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that Whites and Blacks would like to have more contact with the out-group but believe the out-group does not want to have contact with them. Studies 3-5 show that Whites and Blacks make divergent explanations about their own and their potential out-group partner's failure to initiate contact. Specifically, individuals explained their own inaction in terms of their fear of being rejected because of their race but attributed the out-group members' inaction to their lack of interest. Study 6 examined the behavioral consequences of this self-other bias. Finally, Study 7 applied theoretical work on the extended contact hypothesis to explore a means to reduce this self- other bias. The implications of these studies for improving intergroup interactions are discussed.