Fritz London and the measurement problem: a phenomenological approach

Continental Philosophy Review - In this paper, I discuss the possible relations between Fritz London’s account of the status of the observer in quantum physics and transcendental...     

The influence of the visual surrounding environment in older adults and young adults’ cognitive performance: an alternative paradigm

ABSTRACT

This study investigated how the characteristics of the visual surrounding environment influence older- and young-adults’ cognitive performance. Sixty-four older adults and 64 young adults performed four visual cognitive tasks (attention and memory tasks) in two independent sessions while being exposed to a high-load and a low-load visual surrounding environment. We expected that the high-load environment would hurt the older-adults performance due to typical difficulties in ignoring irrelevant stimuli, whereas no such effect would likely occur for the young-adults whose cognitive abilities are at their best. Overall, our results were consistent with our prediction in three tasks (go/no-go, choice reaction time, and Corsi block-tapping). Additionally, the older adults performed worse than the young adults in all tasks, thus confirming expected age-related differences. Our results are consistent with those obtained when distractors and targets are presented in the same display, now using a paradigm which locates the distractors in the surrounding environment.     

How do we process prices? Electrophysiological evidence of componential analysis

The aim of this study was to evaluate if the processing of prices (e.g., 8 euro) involves separate analysis of the digit (8) and the monetary category (euro). Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded when participants performed a price comparison task in which a pair of prices was presented and they selected the one with higher monetary value. There were compatible comparisons where the digit and the monetary category of one price were higher than those of the other price (e.g., 7 euro – 4 cent, 7 > 4 and euro > cent), and incompatible comparisons where the number of one price was larger but the monetary category smaller than those of the other price (e.g., 4 euro – 7 cent, 4 < 7 but euro > cent). Compatibility effect modulated ERPs in the 350–450 ms time window, with more negative amplitudes in incompatible trials relative to compatible trials. This pattern of results suggests that prices were processed in a componential manner, challenging the evidences of the holistic model. The results of this study agree with the general model framework for multi-symbol number comparison: The constituents of a multi-symbol magnitude are processed and compared to each other separately in a componential manner.     

Two Tales of Rumination and Burnout: Examining the Effects of Boredom and Overload

Although boredom poses serious consequences for employees and organizations, research has paid little attention to this phenomenon, especially when compared to other job experiences such as overload. Building upon the Effort-Recovery Model, our study examines the impact of these two sub-optimal experiences, characterized by under- and over-stimulation, on burnout via three facets of rumination. Using a time lagged design with three measurement moments and a sample of 152 participants, we found partial support for our hypotheses. Boredom and overload led to emotional exhaustion and disengagement 2 weeks later, via an increase in affective rumination. Overload also increased emotional exhaustion via reduced detachment, yet boredom reduced emotional exhaustion by facilitating detachment. These findings stress the importance of addressing boredom as a pervasive, although often silent, workplace phenomenon.