Auditory statistical learning: predictive frequency information affects the deployment of contextually mediated attentional resources on perceptual tasks

Statistical learning is a general phenomenon in which environmental regularities are implicitly acquired through repeated exposure to those environments. Sometimes, that information can be utilised to affect various aspects of cognitive performance (e.g. reaction time) on tasks that utilise selective attention (e.g. visual search). In the current study, we examined the effect of passively listening to predictive auditory contexts in facilitating attention to a certain frequency or frequency range. In doing so, we found that there is a general tendency for attentional resources to be negatively affected when the context sequences are made novel after context–target associations have been formed (Experiment 1), and when the context no longer reliably cues the previous target (Experiment 2). The experiments are framed to contrast Associative Learning and Memory Hypothesis perspectives.     

Peer Contagion in Interventions for Children and Adolescents: Moving Towards an Understanding of the Ecology and Dynamics of Change

The influence of deviant peers on youth behavior is of growing concern, both in naturally occurring peer interactions and in interventions that might inadvertently exacerbate deviant development. The focus of this special issue is on understanding the moderating and mediating variables that account for peer contagion effects in interventions for youth. This set of nine innovative papers moves the field forward on three fronts: (1) Broadening the empirical basis for understanding the conditions under which peer contagion is more or less likely (that is, moderators of effects); (2) Identifying mechanisms that might account for peer contagion effects (mediators); and (3) Forging the methodological rigor that is needed to study peer contagion effects within the context of intervention trials. We propose an ecological framework for disentangling the effects of individuals, group interactions, and program contexts in understanding peer contagion effects. Finally, we suggest methodological enhancements to study peer contagion in intervention trials.     

Implications and refinements of the establishing operation concept

In this paper I discuss (a) three steps in the development of establishing operation (EO) terminology, (b) my early neglect of its possible relevance to applied behavior analysis, (c) the importance of functional analysis methodology for increasing awareness of EO issues, and (d) three comprehensive reviews that clarify the role of EOs in applied work. I then review and further analyze seven topics that require further clarification or that have been raised since my 1982 and 1993 articles: the EO evocative effect, deprivation and satiation, problem behavior maintained by attention, decreasing behavior evoked by a transitive conditioned establishing operation, EOs in the context of escape and avoidance, academic demand, and decreasing behavior evoked by a reflexive conditioned establishing operation.     

What a difference a “Mentally Toughening” year makes: The acculturation of a rookie

ObjectivesThis study investigated how one subculture's norms, traditions, ideals, and imperatives influenced the attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and behaviours of a young athlete (Joe) as he moved from resistance to acculturation.DesignLongitudinal case study of one athlete in one specific sport subculture.MethodJoe took part in five open-ended in-depth interviews over a 14-month period to investigate his experiences as an elite athlete within an Australian football team. Joe's story was analysed through an acculturation-process lens and models on mental toughness, overtraining, and stress-recovery to evaluate the indoctrination of one athlete.FindingsDuring the initial interviews Joe resisted the subculture demands of the football club and tried to find success by maintaining his own beliefs. By the end of the 14-month study Joe had realised that to be successful in the club he needed to embrace the norms, traditions, ideals, and imperatives of the football culture. Joe gained acceptance at the club when he eventually internalised the hypermasculine subculture and ignored injury, played in pain, subjugated his interests for football, and viewed physical abuse as a positive and necessary part of the toughening process.ConclusionJoe's case study demonstrates that the subcultural ideals of mental toughness mean ignoring injury, playing in pain, denying emotion and vulnerability, and sacrificing individuality, which inevitably lead to stress/recovery imbalance and overtraining. In this subculture, demonstrating mental toughness is similar to a hypermasculine environment typified by slogans such as no-pain-no-gain and rest-is-for-the-dead where success is more important than individual wellbeing.     

Knowledge junkies or careerbuilders? A mixed-methods approach to exploring the determinants of students' intention to earn a PhD

What are the determinants of students' interest in earning a PhD? In this study, we use a mixed-methods approach to pursue this question. Based on qualitative interview data, we develop a model in which academic motivation and academic achievement interact with contextual factors such as working conditions to influence career intentions. We then test this model using a sample of 229 students currently enrolled in master-level courses of study at a German university. Our results speak to the role of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivations in the context of PhD intentions. In contrast to our expectations, results suggest that while intrinsic life aspirations and the intellectual challenge of gaining a PhD play a significant role for students' intention to pursue a PhD, extrinsic life aspirations and contextual determinants seem to be less influential. Furthermore, results highlight the importance of gaining familiarity and experience with academic work for students' career decisions.     

Influence of practice schedules and attention on skill development and retention

Focus of attention during dual-tasks and practice schedules are important components of motor skill performance and learning; often studied in isolation. The current study required participants to complete a simple key-pressing task under a blocked or random practice schedule. To manipulate attention, participants reported their finger position (i.e., skill-focused attention) or the pitch of an auditory tone (i.e., extraneous attention) while performing two variations of a dual-task key-pressing task. Analyses were conducted at baseline, 10 min and 24 h after acquisition. The results revealed that participants in a blocked schedule, extraneous focus condition had significantly faster movement times during retention compared to a blocked schedule, skill focus condition. Furthermore, greatest improvements from baseline to immediate and delayed retention were evident for an extraneous attention compared to the skill-focused attention, regardless of practice schedule. A discussion of the unique benefits an extraneous focus of attention may have on the learning process during dual-task conditions is presented.     

Anticipation in Real‐World Scenes: The Role of Visual Context and Visual Memory

The human sentence processor is able to make rapid predictions about upcoming linguistic input. For example, upon hearing the verb eat, anticipatory eye‐movements are launched toward edible objects in a visual scene (Altmann & Kamide, 1999). However, the cognitive mechanisms that underlie anticipation remain to be elucidated in ecologically valid contexts. Previous research has, in fact, mainly used clip‐art scenes and object arrays, raising the possibility that anticipatory eye‐movements are limited to displays containing a small number of objects in a visually impoverished context. In Experiment 1, we confirm that anticipation effects occur in real‐world scenes and investigate the mechanisms that underlie such anticipation. In particular, we demonstrate that real‐world scenes provide contextual information that anticipation can draw on: When the target object is not present in the scene, participants infer and fixate regions that are contextually appropriate (e.g., a table upon hearing eat). Experiment 2 investigates whether such contextual inference requires the co‐presence of the scene, or whether memory representations can be utilized instead. The same real‐world scenes as in Experiment 1 are presented to participants, but the scene disappears before the sentence is heard. We find that anticipation occurs even when the screen is blank, including when contextual inference is required. We conclude that anticipatory language processing is able to draw upon global scene representations (such as scene type) to make contextual inferences. These findings are compatible with theories assuming contextual guidance, but posit a challenge for theories assuming object‐based visual indices.     

A meaningful embrace: Contingent effects of embodied cues of affection

Can a mere gesture lead to intimate product bonding? In this research, we find that affectionate gestures (e.g. hugging, stroking) can serve as routes to object attachment. We suggest that the mere execution of an affectionate gesture can generate emotional attachment, which translates into enhanced product attitudes. However, this effect is contingent on the existence of facilitating conditions via the presence of humanlike characteristics in the target object of the affectionate gesture.     

Investigating the effect of contextual factors on driving: An experimental study

Alongside human factors, contextual factors are believed to have an ongoing and complex impact on driving outcomes. However, how and to what extent the components of context influence driving outcomes (e.g. rule violations, crash, stress, fatigue) are far beyond full understanding. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of weather condition, lighting condition and traffic density on driving outcomes. Thirty-six volunteers were enrolled to participate into a driving simulator-based experiment. Each participant was required to complete twelve trials of simulated driving under different sets of scenarios. Driving outcome was measured by five dependent variables: frequency of speeding, frequency of lane deviations, number of correct sign recognition, completion time and workload. The results showed the frequency of speeding was significantly affected by weather condition, lighting condition and traffic density. Lighting condition had a significant effect on number of correct sign recognition. Weather condition, lighting condition and traffic density had significant effects on task completion time. Weather condition and lighting condition had significant effects on driver’s workload. The implications of the results could help traffic safety professionals better understand the risk factors that may lead to human errors during driving. Practically, countermeasures could be inspired and developed to mitigate the adverse impacts brought by driving context to minimum.     

职业生涯背景行动理论及其方法的述评

背景行动理论是职业生涯研究中的新理论。此理论以人类职业行动为基本研究单位,认为:(1)人类的职业行动在本质上都是意向性和目标指向的;(2)应在日常生活中了解人们的职业观念、解释和选择;(3)职业是社会建构的。行动-项目质性方法基于此理论产生,从外显行为、内在过程和社会意义三方面收集职业行动的完整信息。背景行动理论对职业行动、发展过程及社会意义的认识为职业生涯研究提供了新的理论视角。