Feeling time in nature: The influence of directed and undirected attention on time awareness

In the present study, we examined the impact of the interaction of environmental and task-induced attentional focus on time perception, specifically awareness of the time flow. We tested 48 participants in either a natural or urban setting over three 25- to 35-min sessions. We manipulated the within-subjects factor task by means of two tasks—one requiring directed attention on the task itself, the other undirected attention on the environment—alongside a control condition with no specific task. We measured time awareness, passage of time judgments, felt time judgments, and estimated time as dependent variables. For time awareness, we found an interaction between environment and task: in the natural environment, only a task requiring directed attention reduced time awareness; whereas, in the urban environment, both tasks reduced time awareness compared to the control condition. The results suggest that natural environments increase time awareness unless we focus our attention on a task.     

语言范畴可否引起偏侧化颜色范畴知觉？

本研究考查了语言范畴是否会引起偏侧化颜色范畴知觉,并探讨了偏侧化颜色范畴知觉是语言范畴即时分类颜色还是长期与颜色联结的结果。实验中,以测量差别阈限的方法选定的渐变、相邻颜色知觉距离相当的A、B、C、D四种颜色（A、B为绿色,C、D为蓝色）为材料,以色词与颜色重组模式训练被试用4个人造词汇分别命名4种颜色,并让被试在训练前、第一次训练和第八次训练后均完成视觉搜索任务测试。经训练,原范畴内颜色（AB,CD）变成了范畴间颜色,原范畴间颜色（BC）仍为范畴间颜色。结果显示：被试在一次训练后能以新名字区分4种颜色,八次训练后掌握了4种颜色的新名字;在训练前测试中,出现了与蓝绿色相应的偏侧化颜色范畴知觉;在第八次训练后测试中,出现了与习得的语言范畴相应的偏侧化颜色范畴知觉,但在第一次训练后测试中并未出现这一效应。这些结果表明,语言范畴能引起偏侧化颜色范畴知觉,偏侧化颜色范畴知觉是语言范畴长期与颜色联结,而非即时分类颜色的结果。     

Image-size disparity reduces difference detection in face matching

Face matching is the act of deciding whether two facial images depict the same person or different people. The real-world face-matching task of checking photo IDs typically occurs under conditions of image-size disparity: A small picture is compared with a life-size face. We examined the effect of image-size disparity on face-matching accuracy. In three experiments, subjects were presented with pairs of equivalently or disparately sized images that depicted the same person or different people. Subjects made same/different judgments and, in two experiments, also reported confidence. Difference detection was significantly poorer given disparate (versus equivalent) image size. Confidence was significantly higher when responses were correct versus incorrect. These findings held whether viewing and decision time was unlimited or limited. Our results raise the practical concern that image-size disparity may undermine difference detection in ID checking, while also indicating that people have some insight into the accuracy of their face-matching judgments.     

Demonstrating detail in investigative interviews—An examination of the DeMo technique

Attaining an uninterrupted free report (FR) is at the heart of best practice investigative interviewing guidance. However, witnesses/victims do not naturally provide detailed accounts. Techniques have been developed to counter-act this, such as a report everything (RE) instruction. This research examined the relative effectiveness of an addition to the RE component, a demonstration of the level of detail, using a behavioural exemplar, by describing an innocuous object; the Demonstration for More detail (DeMo) technique. Participants (N = 61) watched a mock crime video and asked to recall it using one of three instructions: (a) basic FR as the control, (b) RE instruction and (c) RE instruction plus DeMo technique. Participants who were given the DeMo technique recalled more details than both the control and RE groups. Accuracy rates were similarly high across all conditions. The implications of using the DeMo technique within an investigative interview are discussed.     

高校教师教学水平评价概化理论预算限制下最佳样本量估计

使用“高校教师教学水平评价问卷”,要求566名学生对19名教师进行评价,对收集到的数据作不同的概化设计,包括t×i、（s：t）×i、（s：t）×（i：v）和（s：t）×（i：v）×o四种设计。基于概化理论,结合预算限制,统一LaGrange乘法公式,自行推导不同设计的最佳样本量公式,联合估计的方差分量,计算出不同设计的最佳样本量。结果表明：（1）LaGrange乘法统一公式表现出较强的通用性,能够适用于预算限制下各种概化设计;（2）评价场合是影响高校教师教学水平评价一个相当重要的因素;（3）（s：t）×（i：v）×o是高校教师教学水平评价概化理论预算限制下最优概化设计;（4）高校教师教学水平评价概化理论预算限制下,每位教师最佳评价学生人数为20人,每个维度最佳评价题目数为3题。     

中文版无手机恐惧量表的修订

该研究以国外学者Caglar Yildirim和Ana-Paula Correia于2015年编制的Nomophobia量表为基础,修订出了适用于国内的中文版无手机恐惧量表。研究首先使用探索性结构方程模型对量表结构进行初探; 其次使用项目反应模型进行项目分析并根据其分析结果对项目进行修改和筛选,最终形成正式版量表; 最后对正式版量表其进行信效度检验,并再次对量表题目进行项目分析。最终量表共16道题目,包括害怕无法获得信息、害怕失去便利、害怕失去联系和害怕失去网络连接4个维度; 总量表的Cronbach α系数为0.931,四维度的α系数分别为:0.789,0.816,0.887和0.896。CFA验证性结果显示量表结构较好(χ2/df=3.91,RMSEA=0.067,TLI=0.941,CFI=0.952,SRMR=0.04); 使用手机成瘾倾向量表作为校标的结果显示二者之间相关为0.626,效度良好。最终量表项目区分度在[1.734,4.806]之间,四维度区分度均值为2.1765,2.72,3.2925和3.883,项目难度参数在[-1.830,4.806]之间。综上结果显示该研究编制的无手机恐惧量表各项指标均达到了心理测量学要求,可供后续研究使用     

Neuronal correlates of full and partial visual conscious perception

Stimuli may induce only partial consciousness—an intermediate between null and full consciousness—where the presence but not identity of an object can be reported. The differences in the neuronal basis of full and partial consciousness are poorly understood. We investigated if evoked and oscillatory activity could dissociate full from partial conscious perception. We recorded human cortical activity with magnetoencephalography (MEG) during a visual perception task in which stimulus could be either partially or fully perceived. Partial consciousness was associated with an early increase in evoked activity and theta/low-alpha-band oscillations while full consciousness was also associated with late evoked activity and beta-band oscillations. Full from partial consciousness was dissociated by stronger evoked activity and late increase in theta oscillations that were localized to higher-order visual regions and posterior parietal and prefrontal cortices. Our results reveal both evoked activity and theta oscillations dissociate partial and full consciousness.     

The effect of the emotional state on driving performance in a simulated car-following task

Emotion is an important factor that influences driving behavior, but the mechanism is unclear. This research explored the effect of the emotional state on simulated driving behavior. Thirty-five licensed drivers participated in this study and completed a car-following task. The angry, happy and neutral states were manipulated during the task. The participants’ driving performance and risk perception were recorded under each emotional state. Trait anger and driving experience were also measured to explore the possible mediating effect. The results showed that the drivers in an angry or happy emotional state tended to maintain less time to collision and take a longer time to brake while following a lead vehicle than the drivers under the neutral condition, suggesting that drivers in emotional states are more dangerous those in neutral states. Moreover, the happy state rendered the drivers more dangerous, which manifested as a lower perceived accident risk than that among the drivers in the angry and neutral states. More specifically, experienced drivers in happy states performed worse with respect to vehicle lateral position control. Recommendations and implications for safety education and further research are discussed.     

Aging drivers and post delineated express lanes: Threading the needle at 70 miles per hour

Post-delineated express lanes represent a combination of driving complexities that are particularly difficult for older drivers to navigate. The narrow geometry and high speeds that are common to this treatment reflect a critical test for drivers whose depth perception, contrast sensitivity, and visual processing speed are reduced. The present study was designed to empirically examine the effects of age and color of express lane delineators on driver behavior. Three groups of participants (aged 18–39, 40–64, and 65 + years old) were required to complete a series of simulated driving scenarios consisting of combinations of single and dual lane configurations, with speed and lane position measured at the beginning and midpoint of each express lane. All drivers were pre-screened on various visual functioning abilities. Drivers in the 65 and older group show significant age-related declines in depth perception, contrast sensitivity, and phoria which were subsequently correlated with a wide range of driving measures including deceleration rate, brake time, jerk, speed, and lane position. Age related perceptual declines were statistically correlated with slower driving speed and wider lane deviations, including a statistically significant increase in the number of excursions beyond the typical 12-foot lane width. Based on these findings, the behavior of senior drivers was identified as a distinct design condition that should govern the design of high-speed, narrow geometric conditions. This age group requires wider lane widths, particularly at the beginning of single-lane post delimited sections, wider buffer areas around the post markers, and dual lane configurations wherever possible.     

The impact of navigation system display size and environmental illumination on young driver mental workload

Driver distraction is a major cause of road crashes and has a great influence on road safety. In vehicles, one of the common distracting sources is navigation systems (NSs). The navigation system (NS) can distract the driver due to following directions and reading the provided information through its display. These tasks take the driver’s attention from the primary task of driving and may cause poor driving performance, increasing the risk of crashes. In this paper, the effect of the environment (i.e., urban areas and rural areas), the navigation system display (NSD) size, environmental illumination, and gender on young drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 years mental workload was investigated using a simulated driving experiment. To evaluate each driving condition, the NASA-TLX (NASA Task Load Index) workload assessment tool, and a distraction evaluation element, were introduced and used to assess the overall workload, the workload subscales and the distraction by the NSD. The assessment showed a higher perceived overall workload for urban areas and night driving as compared to a rural areas and daytime driving. Moreover, the results showed a greater perceived distraction by the NSD in urban areas compared to driving in rural areas. The subjects also felt distracted when using the small NS compared to using the large NS. The study concluded that urban areas driving, and night driving creates higher perceived workload than rural areas and daytime driving. Furthermore, small NSD leads to more perceived distraction than large NSD while driving. The NSD designers may utilize this research findings to optimize NSD designs to improve driving safety, performance and comfort. Moreover, this study contributes to our understanding of the effect of the NSD size on driving workload and distraction.