Direct measurement of the system latency of gaze-contingent displays

Gaze-contingent displays combine a display device with an eyetracking system to rapidly update an image on the basis of the measured eye position. All such systems have a delay, the system latency, between a change in gaze location and the related change in the display. The system latency is the result of the delays contributed by the eyetracker, the display computer, and the display, and it is affected by the properties of each component, which may include variability. We present a direct, simple, and low-cost method to measure the system latency. The technique uses a device to briefly blind the eyetracker system (e.g., for video-based eyetrackers, a device with infrared light-emitting diodes (LED)), creating an eyetracker event that triggers a change to the display monitor. The time between these two events, as captured by a relatively low-cost consumer camera with high-speed video capability (1,000 Hz), is an accurate measurement of the system latency. With multiple measurements, the distribution of system latencies can be characterized. The same approach can be used to synchronize the eye position time series and a video recording of the visual stimuli that would be displayed in a particular gaze-contingent experiment. We present system latency assessments for several popular types of displays and discuss what values are acceptable for different applications, as well as how system latencies might be improved.     

A Further Defence of the Right Not to Vote

Opponents of compulsory voting often allege that it violates a ‘right not to vote’. This paper seeks to clarify and defend such a right against its critics (Lardy in Oxf J Leg Stud 24:303–321, 2004; Hill in Aust J Polit Sci 50:61–72, 2015a; in Crit Rev Int Soc Polit Philos 18:652–660, 2015b). First, I propose that this right must be understood as a Hohfeldian claim against being compelled to vote, rather than as a mere privilege to abstain. So construed, the right not to vote is compatible with a duty to vote, so arguments for a duty to vote do not refute the existence of such a right. The right against compulsion is most easily defended within a liberal framework, hence its critics often appeal instead to a republican conception of freedom. In the latter part of the paper, I argue that even these republican arguments are inconclusive. Even non-dominating interference still conditions freedom, which may require justification. Further, citizens can live up to republican ideals, so long as they are vigilant; they need not actually vote. Thus, republican arguments fail to refute a right not to vote.     

Cumulative Adversity as a Correlate of Posttraumatic Growth: The Effects of Multiple Traumas,Discrimination, and Sexual Harassment

While trauma is, by definition, a necessary precursor of posttraumatic growth, other aspects of individuals’ life experiences affect their ability to cope with trauma, foster resilience, and grow following adversity. Most research on posttraumatic growth overlooks the accumulation of trauma and sub-trauma stressors as possible predictors of growth. In addition, most research on cumulative adversity omits all but the most extreme examples of discrimination and sexual harassment stressors. This exploratory study of 46 university students with trauma histories used measures of posttraumatic growth, trauma, major (sub-trauma) life events, chronic stressors, sexual harassment, and discrimination to examine the relationship between cumulative adversity and the development of posttraumatic growth. We found that cumulative adversity is positively correlated with posttraumatic growth, and that there are important relationships between gender, race, and cumulative adversity. A hypothesized curvilinear relationship between cumulative adversity and posttraumatic growth was not supported. These findings suggest that successfully coping with some amount of sub-trauma adversity may facilitate the development of posttraumatic growth. Additionally, sexual harassment and discrimination were closely linked to the number of chronic stressors; thus, they need to be included in measures of cumulative adversity to more fully represent the experiences of marginalized groups.     

Pathways Between Marriage and Parenting for Wives and Husbands: The Role of Coparenting

As family systems research has expanded, so have investigations into how marital partners coparent together. Although coparenting research has increasingly found support for the influential role of coparenting on both marital relationships and parenting practices, coparenting has traditionally been investigated as part of an indirect system which begins with marital health, is mediated by coparenting processes, and then culminates in each partner's parenting. The field has not tested how this traditional model compares with the equally plausible alternative model, in which coparenting simultaneously predicts both marital relationships and parenting practices. Furthermore, statistical and practical limitations have typically resulted in only one parent being analyzed in these models. This study used model-fitting analyses to include both wives and husbands in a test of these two alternative models of the role of coparenting in the family system. Our data suggested that both the traditional indirect model (marital health to coparenting to parenting practices), and the alternative predictor model where coparenting alliance directly and simultaneously predicts marital health and parenting practices, fit for both spouses. This suggests that dynamic and multiple roles may be played by coparenting in the overall family system, and raises important practical implications for family clinicians.     

Pilot Evaluation of a Tablet-Based Application to Improve Quality of Care in Child Mental Health Treatment

Mental health systems need scalable solutions that can reduce the efficacy–effectiveness gap and improve mental health outcomes in community mental health service settings. Two major challenges to delivery of high-quality care are providers’ fidelity to evidence-based treatment models and children’s and caregivers’ engagement in the treatment process. We developed a novel, tablet-based application designed to enhance via technology the quality of delivery of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). We piloted its use in four community mental health service organizations using a blocked randomized controlled trial to examine the feasibility of implementing tablet-facilitated TF-CBT versus standard TF-CBT with 13 providers and 27 families. Provider fidelity and child engagement in treatment were observationally measured via session audio recording. Parent and child perceptions of the tablet application were assessed using structured interviews and mixed-method analyses. Providers actively and appropriately used tablet TF-CBT to facilitate treatment activities. Providers and families expressed high satisfaction with its use, demonstrating acceptability of this approach. Youth and caregivers in both conditions reported high alliance with their providers. Overall, we found that tablet-facilitated treatment is accepted by providers and families and may be integrated into mental health treatment with minimal training. Further study is needed to examine the extent to which technology-based applications may enhance the reach, quality, and clinical outcomes of mental health treatment delivered to children and families.     

Who Will Volunteer? Religiosity, Everyday Racism, and Social Participation Among African American Men

This study explores the relative importance of everyday racism, empathic concern, communalism, and religiosity as predictors of pro-social involvement (i.e., volunteerism and membership in political/social justice organizations) among a sample of African American men (N = 151). Church involvement emerged as a positive predictor of the likelihood that these men were involved in volunteer work as well as the number of hours that men dedicated to volunteer work. Communalism positively predicted the amount of time (in hours per year) that men were involved in volunteer work. Subjective religiosity and the stress of everyday racism were associated with a greater likelihood of being a member of a political–social justice organization. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Sympathy for the Devil? Uncovering Inhibitors and Enablers of Emotional Engagement Between Zoo Visitors and the Tasmanian Devil,Sarcophilus harrisi

This article explores enablers and inhibitors of emotional engagement between visitors and Tasmanian devils at Healesville Sanctuary, Australia. A qualitative research approach was utilized including 44 interviews (ten with staff and 34 with visitors) and eight hours of observations of 622 visitors. Findings are presented in relation to six themes: (a) visitors’ motivations for viewing Tasmanian devils, (b) visitors’ emotional responses to Tasmanian devils, (c) role of previsit expectations, (d) species’ attributes inhibiting emotional engagement, (e) species' attributes enabling emotional engagement, and (f) elements of exhibit design and interpretation influencing emotional engagement. Results show clear views of active animals, first-person interpretation, and an understanding of conservation threats were enablers of forming an emotional connection. Inability to view animals and general misconceptions of devils were inhibitors of forming an emotional connection. Implications for exhibit management, interpretation, and conservation are discussed.     

Predicting Persistence of Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury in Suicidal Adolescents

Prospective predictors of persistent nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) were examined in adolescents admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit for suicidal behaviors and followed naturalistically for 6 months. Seventy‐one (77%) participants reported NSSI at baseline, and 40 (56%) persisted at the 6 month follow‐up. Those who endorsed automatic positive reinforcement (APR) as the predominant reason for NSSI were more likely to persist in NSSI. Depression over follow‐up, but not at baseline, also predicted persistence. These results suggest that helping high‐risk adolescents to identify alternative ways of generating emotion(s) to counter the effects of APR that may accompany NSSI should be a high priority treatment target.