Biological motion shown backwards: the apparent-facing effect

We examined how showing a film backwards (reverse transformation) affects the visual perception of biological motion. Adults and 6-year-old children saw first a point-light quadruped moving normally as if on a treadmill, and then saw the same display in reverse transformation. For other groups the order of presentation was the opposite. Irrespective of the presentation mode (normal or reverse) and of the facing of the point-light figure (rightward or leftward), a pronounced apparent-facing effect was observed: the perceptual identification of a display was mainly determined by the apparent direction of locomotion. The findings suggest that in interpreting impoverished point-light biological-motion stimuli the visual system may neglect distortions caused by showing a film backwards. This property appears to be robust across perceptual development. Possible explanations of the apparent-facing effect are discussed.     

Solving spatial tasks with unaligned layouts: the difficulty of dealing with conflicting information

Previous research has shown that preschool children have difficulty using relational information in spatial tasks. The present study investigates whether this difficulty is due, in part, to children's inability to deal with situations of conflict where both objective and egocentric cues are available and point to different responses. Two studies were conducted to compare performance in the presence versus absence of conflicting cues. In Study 1, 40 four-year-olds had to locate an object in a single layout presented from different perspectives. In Study 2, 39 four-year-olds had to transfer locational information between two unaligned layouts. The presence of conflict significantly affected children's performance in both studies. The results are discussed in the context of similar findings in other cognitive domains.     

Comparison at a distance

The visual system is known to contain hard-wired mechanisms that compare the values of a given stimulus attribute at adjacent positions in the visual field; but how are comparisons performed when the stimuli are not adjacent? We ask empirically how well a human observer can compare two stimuli that are separated in the visual field. For the stimulus attributes of spatial frequency, contrast, and orientation, we have measured discrimination thresholds as a function of the spatial separation of the discriminanda. The three attributes were studied in separate experiments, but in all cases the target stimuli were briefly presented Gabor patches. The Gabor patches lay on an imaginary circle, which was centred on the fixation point and had a radius of 5 deg of visual angle. Our psychophysical procedures were designed to ensure that the subject actively compared the two stimuli on each presentation, rather than referring just one stimulus to a stored template or criterion. For the cases of spatial frequency and contrast, there was no systematic effect of spatial separation up to 10 deg. We conclude that the subject's judgment does not depend on discontinuity detectors in the early visual system but on more central codes that represent the two stimuli individually. In the case of orientation discrimination, two naive subjects performed as in the cases of spatial frequency and contrast; but two highly trained subjects showed a systematic increase of threshold with spatial separation, suggesting that they were exploiting a distal mechanism designed to detect the parallelism or non-parallelism of contours.     

Prior knowledge about display inversion in biological motion perception

Display inversion severely impedes veridical perception of point-light biological motion (Pavlova and Sokolov, 2000 Perception & Psychophysics 62 889-899; Sumi, 1984 Perception 13 283-286). Here, by using a spontaneous-recognition paradigm, we ask whether prior information about display orientation improves biological motion perception. Participants were shown a set of 180 degrees inverted point-light stimuli depicting a human walker and quadrupeds (dogs). In experiment 1, one group of observers was not aware of the orientation of stimuli, whereas the other group was told beforehand that stimuli will be presented upside down. In experiment 2, independent groups of participants informed about stimulus orientation saw the same set of stimuli, in each of which either a moving or a static background line was inserted. The findings indicate that information about display inversion is insufficient for reliable recognition of inverted point-light biological motion. Instead, prior information facilitates display recognition only when it is complemented by additional contextual elements. It appears that visual impressions from inverted point-light stimuli remain impenetrable with respect to one's knowledge about display orientation. The origins of orientation specificity in biological motion perception are discussed in relation to the recent neuroimaging data obtained with point-light stimuli and fragmented Mooney faces.     

Wanton Responsibility

Mainstream accounts of responsible agency either overlook or discount wanton agents as plausible candidates for responsible agency. This is largely due to the compatibilist project of such accounts, and to their deemphasis of historical and modal considerations. I argue that wantons – those who are indifferent to the desires that move them to act – can and ought to be counted as responsible agents. Indeed, they deserve special blame for the acts of wrong doing that issue from their wanton behavior.     

Toward a Model of Neuropsychological Activity

The main purpose of this research was to establish the intercorrelations existing among different psychological and neuropsychological test scores in a normal and homogenous population. A second purpose was to attempt further step in the component analysis of cognitive activity measured by means of neuropsychological tests. A comprehensive neuropsychological test battery was assembled and individually administered to a 300-subject sample, aged 17–25 years-old. All of them were right-handed male university students. The battery included some basic neuropsychological tests directed to assess language, calculation abilities, spatial cognition, praxic abilities, memory, perceptual abilities, and executive functions. In addition, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was administered. Forty-one different scores were calculated. Correlations among the different test scores were analyzed. It was found that some of the tests presented a quite complex intecorrelation system, whereas other tests presented few or no significant correlations. Mathematical ability tests and orthography knowledge represented the best predictors of Full Scale IQ. A factor analysis with varimax rotation disclosed five factors (verbal, visuoperceptual, executive function, fine movements, and memory) accounting for 63.6% of the total variance. Implications of these results for a neuropsychological model about brain organization of cognition were analyzed.     

How does positive mood modulate time-based event expectancy?

Cognitive Processing - In the present study, we investigated how positive mood affects the formation of time-based event expectancies. After positive or neutral mood inductions, participants...     

How partner‐satisfying decisions benefit relationships: An experience sampling study

Sometimes, individuals must choose between acting in a way that satisfies their own desire or acting in a way that satisfies their partner's desire. What are the consequences of choosing one over the other for individuals' well‐being and relationship? Using experience sampling data (934 reports by 106 participants) that assessed daily decision conflicts in relationships, we examined consequences of partner‐satisfying decisions. A higher proportion of partner‐satisfying decisions predicted more perceived needs fulfillment and marginally higher perceived relationship quality over the course of a week. Additionally, immediately after the partner‐satisfying decision, participants reported feeling closer to their partner, and reported more positive and less negative affect, even when controlling for the quality of the relationship.     

Integrating Exposure and Response Prevention With a Mobile App to Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Feasibility,Acceptability, and Preliminary Effects

Many individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not receive evidence-based care (specifically exposure and ritual prevention; EX/RP) due to barriers such as a lack of EX/RP-trained clinicians, geographic obstacles, and the cost and time associated with the treatment. Offering an integrated treatment model consisting of brief in-person therapy coupled with a mobile application (app) might be one way to increase access to and reduce the time burden (to clinicians and patients) of EX/RP. This pilot trial evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical effects of such a treatment program for adults with OCD. Thirty-three participants enrolled in the 8-week open trial. The integrated treatment program consisted of 3 to 5 in-person sessions followed by weekly phone calls supported by a mobile app (nOCD). Participants were evaluated by trained raters and completed self-report measures at baseline, midtreatment, posttreatment and 2-month follow-up; the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was the primary outcome. This integrated treatment program was feasible and acceptable to participants. Of the 33 study entrants, 14 (42%) responded to treatment (Y-BOCS decrease ≥ 35% with CGI- of 1 or 2), and 8 (24%) achieved minimal symptoms (i.e., Y-BOCS ≤ 12). At 2-month follow-up (n = 20), 7/20 (35%) met criteria for treatment response, and 3/20 (15.0%) met criteria for treatment remission. Although preliminary, this model warrants further study as an efficacious and resource-efficient way to deliver EX/RP for some patients with OCD.     

Aspects of motivation: reflections on Roy Baumeister’s essay

Reflecting on Roy Baumeister’s guidelines for a general theory of motivation, we relate his ideas to our own perspectives and interests. In those terms we consider, among others, the role of motivation in cognitive processes, the emergence of motives from basic needs, the mental representation of motives in memory, and the issue of free will. Roy’s paper compellingly demonstrates the indispensability of motivation to psychological phenomena writ large, and it aptly identifies critical junctures where further motivational research is needed.