Assessing stereomotion thresholds with a high-resolution computer monitor

We investigated the feasibility of a computer-graphics-based method of assessing stereomotion thresholds (Silicon Graphics Stereoview stereoscopic system). Stereomotion thresholds for a rectangle oscillating in depth were determined with the use of a dual randomly interleaved staircase design. In a group of 31 naive observers, the average thresholds of 5.97′ of arc forcrossed stereomotion and 6.00′ of arc foruncrossed stereomotion were comparable to those assessed in earlier work done with optics-based techniques. By assessing the thresholds for a rectangle that was defined either by lateral motion or by changing size, in a group of experienced observers, we were able to show that any potential residual translational motion present in the display would not have influenced the stereomotion thresholds. Our findings suggest that this computer-graphics-based technique may be a reasonable alternative to optics-based methods of assessing stereomotion thresholds.     

Extending Awareness of Catholic Healthcare Ethics Among Junior Clinicians: A Qualitative Study

Journal of Religion and Health - As Catholic healthcare organizations form a substantive part of healthcare delivery in the USA and Australia, ethical standards for Catholic health care were...     

Patterns of maternal and infant imitation during play

In contrast to recent experimental studies that have sought to establish the infant's ability to imitate, the goal of the current study was to establish the actual performance of imitation by infants and their mothers during episodes of face-to-face play. Three-min play episodes of 20 mothers and their 13- to 16-week-old infants were videotaped. Instances of mouth openings, lip movements, tongue protrusions, smiling, and vocalizations by both partners were coded. Sequential analyses revealed stochastic patterns of imitation by both interactants. Mothers contingently imitated initiations by their infants and were more likely to make like initiations during action in the same category by their infants. Infants did not show onset-to-onset imitation but did show an increased likelihood to initiate actions when their mothers were engaged in a like action. That imitation by the mother is a pervasive characteristic of such interactions is consistent with earlier suggestions of its role in the acquisition of social and emotional skills. The results suggest that infants also display patterns of matching in early social interactions.     

A longitudinal study of Q‐sort attachment security and self‐processes at age 5

Attachment theory predicts that a sense of self emerges from early interactive relationships with significant others. In the current study, concurrent and predictive relations of child–mother Q‐sort attachment security to self‐concept and self‐esteem in 5‐year‐old children is examined. Concurrent attachment security scores are positively related to a puppet interview measure of self‐esteem, and children who are able to admit imperfections in themselves have higher attachment security scores at age 5. Attachment security at age 2 is not positively related to self‐processes, however, and security at either age does not predict overall self‐concept as measured by the Harter Scales. The results suggest that a secure attachment relationship is important for children to feel comfortable in presenting a realistic perspective of themselves.     

Orientation tuning of shape from shading

Four experiments were performed to assess the effect of different orientations and direction of lighting on the visual processing of shaded or bipartite disks. In the first two experiments, observers were presented with nine different shading orientations from 0 degree to 180 degrees. Targets were detected in a rapid and parallel fashion for shaded disks when the orientation of the shading gradient was not horizontal (90 degrees) or oriented at 67.5 degrees. Search asymmetries favoring the detection of "pock" targets over "ball" targets were found for all orientations. The search rates for bipartite disks were similar to the shaded disks at 0 degree, 22.5 degrees, and 90 degrees but not for intermediate orientations, and no search asymmetries were found. These differences suggest that shaded displays and bipartite displays are processed by different underlying mechanisms. The third experiment showed that the direction of the light source (left or right) had no influence on search asymmetries around the 90 degrees point. Shading gradient orientation affected magnitude estimates of depth in the fourth experiment. These experiments show that the visual system's "assumption" of overhead lighting is broadly tuned.     

Pellegrino,MacIntyre, and the internal morality of clinical medicine

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics - There has been significant debate about whether the moral norms of medical practice arise from some feature or set of features internal to the discipline of...     

A Psychometric Examination of Mission Essential Competency (MEC) Measures Used in Air Force Distributed Mission Operations Training Needs Analysis

The Mission Essential Competency (MEC) approach to work and training needs analysis has been the focus of a multiyear research project of the United States Air Force. This article was written with the specific goal of reviewing the psychometric characteristics of the various measures that are used in this process. Using extensive survey data from different target populations, we show that the MEC measures are reliable and perform in a way that valid measures would be expected to perform, such as demonstrating appropriate expert/novice differences, expected relationships between general competencies and MECs, and reasonable relationships between job tenure and knowledge/skill.