Metric error monitoring in the numerical estimates

Recent studies have shown that participants can keep track of the magnitude and direction of their errors while reproducing target intervals (Akdoğan & Balcı, 2017) and producing numerosities with sequentially presented auditory stimuli (Duyan & Balcı, 2018). Although the latter work demonstrated that error judgments were driven by the number rather than the total duration of sequential stimulus presentations, the number and duration of stimuli are inevitably correlated in sequential presentations. This correlation empirically limits the purity of the characterization of “numerical error monitoring”. The current work expanded the scope of numerical error monitoring as a form of “metric error monitoring” to numerical estimation based on simultaneously presented array of stimuli to control for temporal correlates. Our results show that numerical error monitoring ability applies to magnitude estimation in these more controlled experimental scenarios underlining its ubiquitous nature.     

Bayes,time perception,and relativity: The central role of hopelessness

Time judgement and time experience are distinct elements of time perception. It is known that time experience tends to be slow, or dilated, when depressed, but there is less certainty or clarity concerning how depression affects time judgement. Here, we use a Bayesian Prediction Error Minimisation (PEM) framework called ‘distrusting the present’ as an explanatory and predictive model of both aspects of time perception. An interval production task was designed to probe and modulate the relationship between time perception and depression. Results showed that hopelessness, a symptom of severe depression, was associated with the ordering of interval lengths, reduced overall error, and dilated time experience. We propose that ‘distrusting the future’ is accompanied by ‘trusting the present’, leading to the experiences of time dilation when depressed or hopeless. Evidence was also found to support a relative difference model of how hopelessness dilates, and arousal accelerates, the rate of experienced time.     

基于结构方程模型的多层调节效应

使用多层线性模型进行调节效应分析在社科领域已常有应用。尽管多层线性模型区分了层1自变量的组间和组内效应、实现了多层调节效应的分解, 仍然存在抽样误差和测量误差。建议在多层结构方程模型框架下, 设置潜变量和多指标来有效校正抽样误差和测量误差。在介绍多层调节SEM分析的随机系数预测法和潜调节结构方程法后, 总结出一套多层调节的SEM分析流程, 通过一个例子来演示如何用Mplus软件进行多层调节SEM分析。随后评述了多层调节效应分析方法在国内心理学的应用现状, 并展望了多层结构方程和多层调节研究的拓展方向。     

基本归因错误的文化局限性

基本归因错误曾被社会心理学家认为是人类普遍具有的一种归因倾向,然而,文化心理学的研究却发现：不同文化脉络中的人表现出不同的归因倾向,确切地说,归因实际上会受到文化的影响,即便是所谓的基本归因错误亦具有文化局限性。进而言之,文化心理学的研究打破了以往心理学中关于人们的基本认知过程和方式具有文化普遍性的思维定式。由此看来,心理学研究只有立足于一定的社会文化脉络,才能更好地理解和把握人类的心理和行为     

Ironic effects of performance are worse for neurotics

ObjectivesTo conduct the first examination of neuroticism as a predictor of (1) the incidence of what Wegner (1989, 2009) terms ironic processes of mental control and (2) the precision of ironic performance errors under high- and low-anxiety conditions.DesignAcross two studies we employed a repeated-measures design.MethodIn a football penalty-shooting task (Study 1) and a dart-throwing (Study 2) task, under high-anxiety and low-anxiety conditions, participants gained maximum points for hitting a target zone and fewer points for hitting a designated non-ironic error zone. Additionally, we instructed participants to be particularly careful not to hit a designated ironic error zone, because such hits would score minimum points.ResultsAcross both studies within-subjects moderation analyses revealed a consistent moderating effect of neuroticism on the incidence of ironic errors in the high-anxiety condition. Specifically, when anxious, neurotics displayed a significant increase in ironic performance error and a significant decrease in target hits. Importantly, non-ironic error did not differ across anxiety conditions. Additionally, Study 2 results revealed that neuroticism moderated the precision of ironic errors when anxious. Specifically, when anxious, neurotics' ironic error zone hits were significantly farther from the target zone and significantly farther into the ironic error zone than their relatively emotionally stable counterparts’ errors.ConclusionWe provide the first evidence that neuroticism moderates both the incidence and precision of ironic performance errors. These results will enable practitioners in coaching environments to make evidence-based predictions and interventions regarding which individuals are most prone to ironic performance breakdown when anxious.     

Testing the Physical Activity Self-Definition Model among low-active adults participating in a physical activity intervention

Seeing oneself as a physically active person is one of the strongest predictors of physical activity behaviour and self-regulatory strategies. Determining whether and how physical activity self-perceptions can be stimulated may help low-active individuals who do not see themselves as a physically active person become more active. Cross-sectional research has tested the Physical Activity Self-Definition (PASD) model among active samples; longitudinal studies among low-active adults have yet to be done. The purpose of this study was to test the predictive power of the PASD model among low-active adults over a 16-week physical activity intervention. Participants completed surveys of validated questionnaires in-person at baseline (pre-intervention) and at 16-weeks (end of intervention) at one of two primary care facilities. The final sample included 119 low-active adults. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling indicated that the original model had small-medium predictive power (Q² = 0.22; SRMR = 0.13 [0.05, 0.07]; RMSE = 1.13; MAE = 0.9; BIC = 1348.40). Two paths were added in the revised model (perceived wanting—PASD; perceived ability—perceived commitment), which explained an additional 4% and 5% of the variance in perceived commitment (R² = 0.62 [0.48, 0.72]) and PASD (R² = 0.74 [0.64, 0.80]; all p’s < 0.001), respectively. The revised model had medium predictive power (Q² = 0.25; SRMR = 0.11 [0.05, 0.06]; RMSE = 1.1; MAE = 0.87; BIC = 1332.84) All path coefficients remained positive and significant at p ≤ .001. Among low-active adults, perceived wanting and perceived ability may be more salient when engaging in physical activity and regarding themselves as a physically active person. Findings may support practitioners and health care professionals in designing physical activity interventions to foster PASD among low-active adult populations.     

Feeling of control of an action after supra and subliminal haptic distortions

Here we question the mechanisms underlying the emergence of the feeling of control that can be modulated even when the feeling of being the author of one’s own action is intact. With a haptic robot, participants made series of vertical pointing actions on a virtual surface, which was sometimes postponed by a small temporal delay (15 or 65 ms). Subjects then evaluated their subjective feeling of control. Results showed that after temporal distortions, the hand-trajectories were adapted effectively but that the feeling of control decreased significantly. This was observed even in the case of subliminal distortions for which subjects did not consciously detect the presence of a distortion. Our findings suggest that both supraliminal and subliminal temporal distortions that occur within a healthy perceptual–motor system impact the conscious experience of the feeling of control of self-initiated motor actions.     

Speech stress recognition using semi-eager learning

Homo-sapiens suffer from psychogenic pain due to current day lifestyle. According to psychologists, stress is the most destructive form of psychalgia and it is a vicious companion for this species. Immoderate levels of stress may lead to the death of many individuals. Normally, the presence of stress gives rise to certain emotions which can be detected to predict stress levels of a person. This paper proposes the development of mechanized and efficient Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) for stress level analysis. The paper investigates the performance of perceptual based speech features like Revised Perceptual Linear Prediction Coefficients, Bark Frequency Cepstral Coefficients, Perceptual Linear Predictive Cepstrum, Gammatone Frequency Cepstral coefficient, Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient, Gammatone Wavelet Cepstral Coefficient and Inverted Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients on SER. The novelty of this work involves application of a SemiEager (SemiE) learning algorithm for evaluating auditory cues. SemiE offers advantages over eager and lazy based learning by reducing the computational cost. Stress level recognition being the main objective, the Speech Under Simulated and Actual Stress (SUSAS) benchmark database is used for performance analysis. A comparative analysis is presented to demonstrate the improvement in the SED performance. An overall accuracy of 90.66% recognition of stress related emotions is achieved.     

Time in a one-instant world

Many philosophers hold that ‘one-instant worlds’—worlds that contain a single instant—fail to contain time. We experimentally investigate whether these worlds satisfy the folk concept of time. We found that ~50% of participants hold that there is time in such worlds. We argue that this suggests one of two possibilities. First, the population disagree about whether at least one of the A-, B-, or C-series is necessary for time, with there being a substantial sub-population for whom the presence of neither an A-, B-, nor C-series, is necessary for time, and hence those folk have a radically more minimal concept of time than has been attributed to them by philosophers. Or, second, the population do not disagree about whether at least one of the A-, B-, or C-series is necessary for time, but disagree about what it takes for a world to fail to contain even a C-series.