Adapting to the surface: A comparison of handwriting measures when writing on a tablet computer and on paper

Our study addresses the following research questions: Are there differences between handwriting movements on paper and on a tablet computer? Can experienced writers, such as most adults, adapt their graphomotor execution during writing to a rather unfamiliar surface for instance a tablet computer?We examined the handwriting performance of adults in three tasks with different complexity: (a) graphomotor abilities, (b) visuomotor abilities and (c) handwriting. Each participant performed each task twice, once on paper and once on a tablet computer with a pen.We tested 25 participants by measuring their writing duration, in air time, number of pen lifts, writing velocity and number of inversions in velocity. The data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects modeling with repeated measures.Our results reveal differences between writing on paper and on a tablet computer which were partly task-dependent. Our findings also show that participants were able to adapt their graphomotor execution to the smoother surface of the tablet computer during the tasks.     

Using the simultaneous protocol to study equivalence class formation: the facilitating effects of nodal number and size of previously established equivalence classes

The emergence of equivalence classes in college students is unlikely when all baseline relations are trained concurrently and all probes for emergent relations are then introduced concurrently (the simultaneous protocol). This experiment showed how the number of nodes and the size of previously established equivalence classes enhanced the emergence of new equivalence classes under the simultaneous protocol. First, one-node three-, five-, or seven-member classes or three-node five- or seven-member classes were established with college students. A sixth group received no pretraining. Then, the simultaneous protocol was used to establish new three-node five-member equivalence classes with all students. The speed and variability with which the baseline relations were established in the simultaneous protocol were inverse functions of number of nodes in the previously established classes, but not of their size. The percentage of subjects who showed the emergence of new equivalence classes under the simultaneous protocol was a direct function of number of nodes and size of pretrained classes. The additional time spent for pretraining greatly reduced the total training time needed to produce individuals who showed the emergence of classes under the simultaneous protocol. The total time saved was a direct function of number of nodes and number of stimuli in the pretrained classes.     

Utility of computerized case simulations in therapist training and evaluation

The present quasi-experimental study attempted to evaluate the utility of a set of three computer simulations for therapist training and evaluation by comparing psychology students from two universities at three training levels. The three groups consisted of junior and senior level undergraduates, first year graduate students, and third or fourth year graduate students. Analysis of outcome measures indicated subjects were generally accepting of computer simulation use for therapist training and evaluation and performance differences between the groups could be explained by group population differences. The results are discussed relative to the utility for computer simulations use for therapist training and evaluation.     

Computer game playing in adolescence: Prevalence and demographic indicators

Computer game playing is a popular activity among adolescents yet there have been no systematic studies in the U.K. on its prevalence and its demographics. A questionnaire study was undertaken with 387 adolescents (12–16 years of age) to establish the time spent playing computer games, who they first started playing with, the reasons why they first started and why they play now and negative consequences of play. Results revealed that for many adolescents, home computer game playing can take up considerable time with 7% of the sample playing for at least 30 hours a week. Although there were no differences between males and females in who played computer games, it was established that males were found to play significantly more regularly than females.     

CREATING SINGLE‐SUBJECT DESIGN GRAPHS IN MICROSOFT EXCEL™ 2007

Over 10 years have passed since the publication of Carr and Burkholder's (1998) technical article on how to construct single‐subject graphs using Microsoft Excel. Over the course of the past decade, the Excel program has undergone a series of revisions that make the Carr and Burkholder paper somewhat difficult to follow with newer versions. The present article provides task analyses for constructing various types of commonly used single‐subject design graphs in Microsoft Excel 2007. The task analyses were evaluated using a between‐subjects design that compared the graphing skills of 22 behavior‐analytic graduate students using Excel 2007 and either the Carr and Burkholder or newly developed task analyses. Results indicate that the new task analyses yielded more accurate and faster graph construction than the Carr and Burkholder instructions.     

Argumentative Ordering of Utterances for Language Generation in Multi-party Human–Computer Dialogue

In trying to control various aspects concerning utterance production in multi-party human–computer dialogue, argumentative considerations play an important part, particularly in choosing appropriate lexical units so that we fine-tune the degree of persuasion that each utterance has. A preliminary step in this endeavor is the ability to place an ordering relation between semantic forms (that are due to be realized as utterances, by the machine), concerning their persuasion strength, with respect to certain (explicit or implicit) conclusions. Thus, in this article, we propose a mechanism for assessing utterances, in terms of their argumentative force. The framework designed conflates insights from Asher and Lascarides’ SDRT (“Segmented Discourse Representation Theory”), and from Anscombre and Ducrot’s AT (“Argumentation Theory”). These mechanisms are included in a language generation component of a multi-party dialogue system for book reservation applications (i.e., a “virtual librarian”), and thus evaluated via typical human–machine conversations.

篇章阅读的动态理解观和计算机模拟的应用

篇章阅读中信息加工的研究一直是文本心理学以及相关科学研究的热点问题。近几年,篇章阅读的动态理解观和计算机模型的影响力正逐步增大。与先前阅读加工观相比,动态理解观整合了阅读的即时加工和延时表征以及两者之间动态的相互关系,并试图捕捉篇章中的每一概念在整个阅读过程中不断变化的激活情况。利用计算机模型研究阅读加工则不像以往的研究方法都需要利用被试的实际阅读反应,在阅读理论的基础上编制的计算机模型能够模拟出人们阅读中的即时表现和阅读后的记忆内容,模拟的数据与行为学实验结果也非常一致     

Improving Human‐Machine Cooperative Classification Via Cognitive Theories of Similarity

Acquiring perceptual expertise is slow and effortful. However, untrained novices can accurately make difficult classification decisions (e.g., skin‐lesion diagnosis) by reformulating the task as similarity judgment. Given a query image and a set of reference images, individuals are asked to select the best matching reference. When references are suitably chosen, the procedure yields an implicit classification of the query image. To optimize reference selection, we develop and evaluate a predictive model of similarity‐based choice. The model builds on existing psychological literature and accommodates stochastic, dynamic shifts of attention among visual feature dimensions. We perform a series of human experiments with two stimulus types (rectangles, faces) and nine classification tasks to validate the model and to demonstrate the model's potential to boost performance. Our system achieves high accuracy for participants who are naive as to the classification task, even when the classification task switches from trial to trial.     

Evaluation of interactive computerized training to teach parents to implement photographic activity schedules with children with autism spectrum disorder

Training parents of children with autism spectrum disorder can be a challenge due to limited resources, time, and money. Interactive computerized training (ICT)—a self‐paced program that incorporates instructions, videos, and interactive questions—is one method professionals can use to disseminate trainings to broader populations. This study extends previous research on ICT by assessing the effect of ICT to teach three parents how to implement a photographic activity schedule using a systematic prompting procedure with their child. Following ICT, all parents increased their fidelity to implementation of an activity schedule during role‐play sessions with an adult. Fidelity remained high during implementation with their child and maintained during a 2‐week follow‐up.